Serpentine Child
by kisukebenihime
Summary: She was supposed to be dead. At least, that’s what Orochimaru had been told. His greatest experiment, lost to the wind and swept away by a lie. Now he’s found her… but there’s a problem. How the hell did all of this happen? ON HOLD!
1. Chapter 1

Snake in the Grass

(**A/N: **A few things before we start. I know that in the Naruto world, Hachimata is an eight-tailed bull with four horns but I changed that to a snake {like in the original folklore}. So, if you get confused… I'm very sorry. Next, this is a KabutoXOC fic… if you don't like it, don't read it.)

**Summary: **She was supposed to be dead. At least, that's what Orochimaru had been told. His greatest experiment, lost to the wind and swept away by a lie. Now he's found her… but there's a problem. How the hell did all of this happen? Let's find out.

~xxx~

Oboro looked about as furious as one would expect, being chained up the very moment she stepped back into the village. The pale-skinned, raven-haired ANBU padded noiselessly through the village behind her Kage to the tower. People stared at her, whispered things about her; she was a monster thus the chains and constant surveillance teams around her house.

At sixteen years of age, said monster had seen her share of bloodshed and felt her share of pain. The one thing that hurt her the most was the fact that once her mask came off, her mother refused to look at her. She looked too much like the man that created her. You hared me right. She wasn't born, she had been created for the sole purpose to die for the man that had played God to make her.

She was a monstrosity that served another man that wanted nothing more than to conquer the shinobi world. And he could do it too. All he had to do was remove the seal and -

"It took you less time than expected to finish your task." Joshi commented from his seat behind the desk. Chains clanked loudly as Oboro sat down in the chair to his right.

"Hai, sneaking in was a piece of cake." She answered without a hint of emotion in her young voice.

"And what of the scroll?" he inquired with a raised brow. The shinobi in the room tensed as she reached into her pack. They relaxed at the sight of said scroll as she placed it on the table.

"The Five-Tails was captured during our mission. This is becoming serious, my lord." She said as her golden eyes peered through the slits of her mask.

"Are you worried that they will come for you?" there was a pregnant pause before Oboro lifted her mask to reveal her pale features and the purple eye markings that stretched down the sides of her nose.

"I will be concerned once they appear."

~xxx~

"N-no one knows what she looks like!" the old man cried out as his arm twisted behind his back.

"Remind me where you picked up this… foul… excuse for a man." The redhead snorted. The abovementioned old man hissed in agony as the blonde man behind him gave a firm tug on his wrist.

"Just outside of Grass, yeah." The blonde responded with a shrug.

"Get rid of him, we've wasted enough time and for absolutely nothing."

"If you say so, Sasori-dana." He let go of the pained man and gave him a clay bird. Deidara gave a coy smile and gathered his chakra. "Katsu, un."

_BOOM!_

"Art is a bang, yeah." Deidara grinned while quickening his pace to catch up with his partner.

"You are mistaken, art is eternal." Sasori deadpanned with a flick of his head, crimson locks swaying to and fro.

"You're wrong Sasori-danna. Art is fleeting; it's beautiful when you first see it then it's gone, yeah." And the argued back and forth for the rest of the day.

~xxx~

Oboro walked a few steps behind Joshi as they passed through the busy streets. Passed the small vegetable stalls, beyond the meat market until the paved road turned into a dirt path. They had walked this path many times before; ending up at the same Torii they always did. The Shrine of Susanoo stood in ruins, decrepit and sickly looking from being unkempt in sixteen years, though, 'Sealer of Yamata no Orochi' could still be seen on the Torii's top pillar. Now sealed away to be used as a weapon, the demon became Hachibi no Hachimata.

'_**Remove the ssseal and ssset me free.' **_A voice hissed in her ears. Oboro was all too aware of the menacing whispers Hachimata voiced.

'_Now is not the time, Hachimata-sama.' _She answered back. _'It is still too soon.' _Getting closer to the genius of the Yagami Clan was a lot harder than it sounded.

"I have no doubt that place is uncomfortable for you, so I'll make this brief." Joshi spoke gazing at the ruins that once was a place of great honor. Truth be told, the shrine was the only place where the demon's power could be subdued to a dull murmur in the Jinchuuriki's head. Thus, he took her here to speak with her without the demon's interference. "I have a proposition for you."

Golden eyes focused solely on the Kusakage as he leaned casually against one of the pillars. "What did you have in mind, Joshi-sama?" she didn't like his tone of voice, like he was plotting something bigger.

"Tell me Oboro-dono, what's the one thing you want most in this world?" he asked, maroon eyes gleaming with amusement.

'_**Releassse me, damn it!' **_Hachimata shouted angrily, eight hissing voices echoed between Oboro's ears.

"I want nothing more than to be normal." she answered in all honesty. Joshi chuckled, he had expected her to answer as such.

"Then I will free you of the demon inside on one condition." Joshi was not the type for charity. No, when he wanted something, he made sure he got it… with a little extra.

She glared at him. Oboro had been his means for power and respect all her life and he gave little regard to her unless it strengthened the tight reigns he held on the village. Still, the thought of being free of the beast within made her bend to his every whim. "What are your terms?" she hissed, very much like the demon that constantly whispered to her.

Joshi pushed himself off the pillar and walked towards her, braided brown hair swaying behind him. His lips curled into a smirk that set off alarms in Oboro's head. But she did not expect the gentleness of his fingers in her hair nor the apologetic look in his maroon eyes. One hand rested under her chin, fingers curling to grasp the edge of her porcelain mask. Slowly, the mask lifted from her face.

"Marry me." he whispered then pressed his lips to hers.

Oboro stilled under him, eyes wide with shock.

'_What the… what the hell does he think he's doing?' _she thought through the dizzying haze in her mind.

'_**What doesss it look like? Take the offer and releassse me.' **_Hachimata snapped.

'_I don't remember asking for your opinion, bastard.' _Oboro fired back.

'_**Ah, I get it; thisss isss your firssst kisss.' **_The great demon chuckled, teasing his host. _**'Let me handle it from here.' **_And she let the demon seep through and take control, not that the beast could do much here. There argument had lasted for a few seconds then Hachimata took over.

Eyelids fluttered closed as her hands moved up and around Joshi's neck. Hachimata moved her body closer to the man and tilted her head to the side. Opening her mouth, Hachimata made her tongue slip passed her lips to lick Joshi's. Immediately, the Kusakage's mouth dropped open and allowed her tongue to explore wherever it wished. She pushed him back against the pillar, hands moving from his neck to his chest; caressing everywhere she touched with calloused fingers.

"Oboro…" Joshi whispered heatedly against her lips. She gave a small hum as her lips moved to his jaw, trailing fluttering kisses against his skin until she reached his ear.

Her tongue flickered out and licked the shell of his ear as her hands worked to unbutton his shirt. "Joshi…" she hissed in a needy tone while her hands ran over his, now exposed, chest and torso. Oboro's lips moved downward, over his rapidly beating pulse-point and to his collar bone. Joshi's breath hitched in his throat as her head dipped to capture his nipple in her hot mouth.

"Nngh…" he couldn't form words at this point, mind all muddled with various erotic images of her under him… and a number of them with her on top. His mind took a completely different turn when Joshi felt her open-mouth kisses trailing further south, stopping just above the waist band of his pants. His eyelids opened halfway and met sliver slit orbs.

"**I want out… now!" **hissed the woman on her knees. Joshi reeled back, that voice was _not _Oboro's.

~xxx~

Orochimaru heard a rumor, a rather unsettling one. Apparently, someone had posed as him and stole a scroll from Kirigakure. This also came with the news that his former counterparts of the Akatsuki had captured the Five-Tails. The details were a little fuzzy, due to his anger, but he vaguely remembered Kabuto telling him that the imposter was spotting near Grass just days after the capture. And that's where he was going. The Grass village was just a day's trip south-west of Sound, and with his anger boiling over, Orochimaru was sure to make if ahead of schedule.

"Doesn't Keiko-chan still live in the Grass village?" his silver-haired medic asked. "She may have some information, she still works for you." It was true, Keiko had served as an informant for Orochimaru until she was chosen to carry the child that would inevitably lead to his quest for immorality. What Orochimaru didn't know was that the child, in fact, lived. Nowadays, Keiko sent information in fruit baskets to various locations, and that information would find it's way to Orochimaru. Thus, how Kabuto was able to find out about the Five-Tails.

The Snake Sannin smiled at this, remembering the last tidbit of information he had gotten from her. Uchiha Sasuke would be participating in the Chunin exams this year, about nine months from now. His smile only grew wider as the village gates came into view.

"Then we shall visit my dear Keiko."

~xxx~

Keiko rummaged through the refrigerator, looking for the lettuce when a knock sounded at the door. She heaved a sigh and walked out of the kitchen.

"Coming." She called from down the hall while tossing her apron on the counter. She wasn't expecting anyone and Oboro wasn't due back until the weekend. The knock came again, this time it was louder and more insistent. Grumbling to herself, Keiko reached for the doorknob and ripped the door open. "What?" she demanded then still completely.

"Long time no see ne, Keiko-chan?" she couldn't believe what she was seeing. At her front stoop stood her master - in disguise - along with his pet medic. Slowly, her hand fell to her side as she gaped at her guests. "Aren't you going to invite us in? It is getting rather chilly this time of year."

"Forgive me, Orochimaru-sama. Please, come in." She said after her initial shock wore off. Stepping back to let them in, her hand reached for the picture on the table and grabbed at it. Shaking hands held the delicate frame to her abdomen as she led them inside and to the kitchen. "To what do I owe the honor of having you in my home, Orochimaru-sama?"

"I need to find an imposter." He answered as he and Kabuto sat down at the table. "A few days ago, someone disguised them self as me and stole a scroll from Kirigakure. You wouldn't happen to know anything about that, would you?"

'_Shit… Oboro,' _her mind went blank for a moment as her fingers gripped the handle of the drawer. Regaining her composure, she tossed the picture into the drawer and turned to face him. "Nothing about an imposter but the Akatsuki have been moving more as of late. They just captured another Jinchuuriki a few days ago."

Orochimaru frowned. "Yes, I heard about that. Taken down by Itachi and Kisame, if I heard right." She nodded in the positive.

"Would you two like some tea while you wait for dinner?" Keiko asked not waiting for them to answer as she walked around the counter and picked up her apron.

"Where is your restroom?" Kabuto asked standing from the table.

"Just down the hall, the open door on the right." Keiko said while placing eel in a frying pan. As Kabuto took off down the hall, Orochimaru watched Keiko flip the eel with a spatula and add some soy sauce.

Kabuto was washing his hands when he reached for a towel and nearly knocked over a small black framed picture. He caught it and placed it back on the counter before walking to the door. But something about the picture was off. He turned and picked it up. For a second there, Kabuto thought he had seen Orochimaru in the picture but upon further inspection… he found that he had been wrong; dead wrong. The pale face was that of a girl holding a small bear in her arms. The familiar purple eye markings were an exact match to his master's, as was the lop-sided grin on her cherubic face.

With picture in hand, Kabuto walked briskly out of the bathroom and into the kitchen.

"I have something you need to see." He whispered to Orochimaru while setting the picture on the table in front of him. Orochimaru picked up the frame and studied it with a boiling anger. Slowly, he stood from the table and walked over to Keiko. He stood directly behind her, trapping her at the stove and held the picture up for her to see.

"You lied to me." He hissed in her ear. Keiko dropped the spatula and braced herself for the fury he was about to unleash.

"I had to." She answered while she turned in the circle of his arms. "They took her from me at birth and turned her into a monster." Orochimaru's fury only grew as she spoke.

"Yet, you didn't bother to send word to let me know that my creation was alive and well." His eyes bore into hers, golden eyes swimming with anger. One of his hands moved to her throat, gripping it tightly. Keiko chocked, coughed and gagged as the hand around her neck tightened by the second.

"We… are under… constant surveillance." She managed to chock out between gasping breaths.

"That doesn't make sense." Kabuto said from his place by the table. "You've managed to gather information and send it to us."

"She couldn't tell you because they knew from the very moment I was born that Orochimaru was my father." A voice said from around the corner. In two seconds flat, Oboro had swept into the room and freed her mother from Orochimaru's grasp and launched clones to pin Kabuto to the floor and Orochimaru to the sink. "If you had shown up here when I was younger, they would have killed me on the spot to stop you from getting your hands on their weapon." She said from her spot in front of her gasping mother by the living room.

"What weapon?" Orochimaru demanded despite the kunai against this throat. Oboro lifted her shirt, showing him the glowing seal on her stomach.

"The demon locked inside of me." There was a knock at the front door then. Oboro turned to her mother and nodded. "That's the Kusakage; the two of you will sit down at the table and stay calm." She said to Orochimaru and Kabuto. "You are family visiting from out of town. Mother, finish cooking before it burns and I will answer the door." And that was the end of the conversation as Oboro's clones disappeared and she moved down the hall.

Dinner was an event in and of itself. Orochimaru had to try to be civil to the man that proclaimed that he and Oboro would be getting married. Joshi was almost twenty-six, ten years older than his daughter. Not that he was trying to protect his creation from harm, no, he wanted nothing more than to take her away from this place and use her for his own means… like he had intended from the beginning. He could tell that the Yagami genius was doing just that and their marriage would be no different; whatever they had worked out to make her say 'yes' had not come up in the conversation.

She had smiled sweetly as Keiko related stories to their guests about her may accomplishments, as if they were really apart of the family unit. And when Joshi left for the night, sleeping arrangements had to be made. Oboro had made it blatantly clear that any more talk of what had happened tonight was not welcome and that they would continue their discussion in the morning. For now though, Oboro gave up her room to Orochimaru while she and Kabuto slept on the couches in the living room.

~xxx~

The sun had crested the horizon more than an hour ago. Sasori never slept, that much was obvious, but he had to wait for his partner before they entered the village. Deidara had slept enough, Sasori surmised as he kicked him from the bed.

"What the hell, Sasori-danna, un?" the blonde shouted as he peered over the side of the bed, one blue eye glaring daggers at the redhead.

"We've wasted enough time." Sasori said while walking towards the door of their room in a dingy inn just outside of Grass. They had spent the last day and a half gathering as much information as possible and relating the info back to Leader-sama. Sasori had been told early that morning to go in and capture the Eight-Tails as soon as possible. "It's time to go." And he was out the door before Deidara could speak another word. Deidara joined Sasori in the lobby less than five minutes later and they departed the instant they made eye contact.

It was a short trip to the village gates. Sasori quickly took out the guards at the entry post and they walked through the gates without a hassle.

"What's the quickest way to flush out a snake?" Sasori mused with a smirk. Deidara jumped on a giant clay bird and smiled widely.

"Set fire to the grass, yeah." He answered while sending out a small number of birds in different directions.

_Ka-Boom_

A number of buildings exploded, killing many people still asleep in their beds.

~xxx~

Oboro was up hours before everyone else. She didn't trust Kabuto sleeping just a few feet away. The sliver-haired youth slept on his back, glasses on the table just an arms length away and head turned in her direction. Oboro surmised that he slept like that because he didn't trust her either. And why should he? She was the one who pinned him, face first, to the dinning room floor with her knee in his back. The moment she stood form the couch, Kabuto cracked open an eye to see where she was.

"Relax," she whispered to him, "I'm just going to make some coffee."

"Mind if I have some?" he asked, voice hoarse and husky from sleep. Oboro just nodded watching him reach blindly in the dark for his glasses. She walked into the kitchen and clicked the light on above the sink, casting a candle-like glow over the small area. Oboro reached into the cabinet and pulled out two mugs and set them on the counter.

"You may want to disguise yourself before you come in here." Her quiet voice called from around the corner. "An ANBU squad on duty not far from here." A disguised Kabuto walked into the kitchen.

"How do you know that? Can you sense them from here?" he asked as he sat down.

"There has always been a squad or two around to keep an eye on me and to make sure Orochimaru wasn't sniffing around." She answered with a shrug, obviously used to being watched though she hated it. In an attempt to switch gears, Oboro poured coffee into the mugs and walked to the table. "How old are you anyway?"

"I'm nineteen." Kabuto answered before taking a sip of his coffee.

"Hmm… you look younger than nineteen. I would have guessed fifteen or sixteen." It was meant to be a complement but Kabuto didn't say anything. "Normally I'm not a nice person… take is as you will but I didn't mean anything negative by my words."

"Sorry, I'm not used to someone being nice to me."

"Neither am I." She countered setting her mug on the table and leaning back in her chair. "So, do you know why I was really created? Mother told me that he had planned for me to be his vessel."

"That is true." Kabuto answered with a nod of his head. "Orochimaru wants to be immortal so that he can learn all of the forbidden jutsu in the world. So, he created you to be his vessel to lengthen his life." He supplied with a nod of his head. "But that didn't happen when your mother told him that you were a stillborn."

"No matter what happened back then, my life was never my own." She frowned while glaring at her cup. Oboro glanced at the clock. "I guess we should wake them and get a move on. I have a mission scheduled for this afternoon."

Oboro stood from the table and started to head to her room when Kabuto called out to her.

"He doesn't like it when someone wakes him up before dawn."

"That's too damn bad." She said over her shoulder. "I have a schedule to keep." Oboro opened the door and stepped inside. Kabuto prepared for the worst as the door closed behind her.

The room seemed darker than normal as Oboro slid into the shadows of the room and stalked over to the bed. Orochimaru turned over in his sleep, now facing her.

"Orochimaru, it's time to wake up." She whispered standing next to the nightstand. He didn't budge an inch. "Don't make me wake you by force."

"What could you possibly do to get me out of bed?" Came his snide remark. She chuckled softly, hands blurring with signs.

"I warned you." There was something cold and scaly sliding across his legs. A hiss came from under the blankets as a cold tongue flickered over his skin. Orochimaru was out of bed and halfway across the room in the blink of an eye. "Good morning." Oboro chirped and walked right out of the room, making her way to wake her mother.

They gathered at the kitchen table, Oboro smiled widely while Orochimaru glared at her. Kabuto kept his amusement to himself while Keiko stared between the two. For Keiko, this was a rather odd scenario to find herself in. Oboro woke her up and told her breakfast would be ready soon - strange, considering that Oboro never did anything for anyone… unless there was something in it for her. When Keiko emerged from her room and walked into the kitchen she found Kabuto and Orochimaru sitting - brooding - at the table and Oboro smirking devilishly over the stove.

"You should've gotten out of bed when I told you to." Oboro chimed as she shifted the bacon in the pan.

"I didn't think you'd go so far as to summon Satoshi and shove him under the blankets." Orochimaru snapped gripping the coffee mug tightly in his hands.

"Oboro, you didn't…"

"I didn't hurt your dear master, if that's what you're suggesting." Oboro cut in, shooting a heated glare at her mother. Keiko stiffened, backing up until she hit the wall. Regret flashed in Oboro's eyes at the terror in Keiko's gaze. "Sorry mother." She mumbled and plated the bacon and set it on the table. Bacon and eggs with a fruit and yogurt salad, not bad for someone who cooked only three times in her life.

And so they sat in a strained silence, the only sound coming from the scraping of cutlery on ceramic. Kabuto looked up from his plate, unable to believe the similarities between the girl to his right and his master just in front of him. He was about to comment but a series of explosions cut him off before he could make a peep.

_Ka-Boom, __**BAM**_

A good portion of the front stoop was ripped from the foundation, shaking the small house around them. Oboro stood from the table and grabbed her mask from the counter.

"Stay here and don't go outside." She told them while walking through the busted front door. In a split second, Oboro vanished from site and the battle had begun.

~xxx~

They didn't have to wait long before the city was crawling with ANBU and other shinobi. One ANBU in particular had caught their attention. She emerged from a small house on one of the side streets, back by the forest. Said ANBU took one step from the doorway and disappeared into the streets. Sasori looked to Deidara and nodded.

Joshi had arrived on scene, shimmering into view next to an ox cart. He spotted Oboro on the other side of the street, ducking behind buildings with a spool of trip wire in one hand and a kunai in the other. They made eye contact for a brief second before another bomb went off, blocking all access to the main gates. In the confusion of the recent explosion, Joshi lost sight of Oboro; thick plumes of smoke obstructed almost everything.

"Joshi, move away from the wall." A voice called out to him. It was Oboro and she was just a few feet away. He moved toward her voice and found her out stretched hand. Grabbing it firmly, Joshi allowed himself to be pulled down a side street. Bricks, wooden planks and various other types of debris littered the ground, making it difficult to navigate.

"Where are you taking me? The enemy is the other way." He shouted over the screams of the villagers.

"We are going to take out the explosives expert first. With him out the way, the villagers can make it to safety." Oboro hollered over her shoulder.

"And just how do you suppose we do that?" another explosion rocked the village. Shinobi and villagers alike scrambled to find cover as heated debris rained over them.

"The one on the bird," she started as she tugged him behind a building, leaning dangerously to one side. Oboro pointed the blonde Akatsuki member swooping over the other end of the road. "Lead him this way and I'll take care of the rest." He nodded and moved away from her. Oboro immediately began threading the trip wire through the loops of several kunai and threw them towards a building adjacent to where she sat. It stuck and she tightened her end.

Joshi came streaking down the road with the blond hot on his heels. So far, the redhead had yet to make a move from his perch atop the gates. As he came thundering down the street, Oboro braced the kunai with one foot while her hands covered her head.

_**Ka-WHAM**_

It was like a fireworks display at a festival. It had been so huge, Joshi was sent flying and Oboro crashed through the ceiling of the building and into a local families mask shop. Deidara had been upward and outward, landing and then skipping to a halt. Now he lay with his lips firmly planted to someone's feet… literally.

Oboro sat up with a groan, her mask cracked and fell to the floor. It took her a moment to gather her bearings and when she did, there was a little girl standing beside her.

"A-ANBU-san, are you alright?" the child asked, big doe eyes staring at her with a mix of shock and awe.

"I'm fine little one." Oboro answered as she stood on shaky legs. "You should head for the hills, it's safer there."

The girl ignored her and continued to look over the staggering ANBU. "Your mask is broken; wait here for a second."

She wasn't about to argue with the child. If she took one step, Oboro felt she might faint. The girl came back with a black half mask, one designed to cover the upper portion of the face. It had little cat ears attached to it, but the girl had enough sense to cut them off with a pair of scissors she found on the floor.

"Here you go." Oboro took the mask and slipped it on.

"Thank you." She said as she looked down at the girl. Thinking quickly, Oboro grabbed a nearby blanket and wrapped the girl in it then picked her up. Walking over to a table in the corner, Oboro set the girl down and patted her head. "Stay here until things quiet down or help comes. Don't mover from this spot." The girl nodded and huddled in the corner.

Deidara looked up to find Orochimaru smirking down at him. A swift flick of the ankle sent Deidara hurtling through the streets and into a wall. Sasori chose this moment to step in and landed in front of his former partner.

"Why are you here?" Sasori growled.

"You are trying to steal what belongs to me." He sneered as he crossed his arms. "And I can't allow you to do so."

"My orders don't concern you. Move or die."

"Let him try… let's see how long he lasts." Oboro said as she walked towards them.

"I am here for the Tailed Beast, stand aside girl." And before anything else could happen, a gull flew over head. Sasori growled again and turned away from the duo. "Deidara, we're leaving." Deidara nodded as he stood and the two disappeared from sight.

~xxx~

Joshi had been killed in the blast. His left leg had been severed by a piece of metal and he bled out before anyone could reach him. Orochimaru watched as Oboro approached the corpse and knelt next to him. She didn't look sad, didn't cry nor did she embrace the fallen man. No, she was angry, disappointed and glaring at the body.

"Pathetic… absolutely pathetic. This turned out to be a complete waste of our time, Hachimata-sama." She growled.

"Something the matter, Oboro?" Orochimaru asked as he stepped closer.

"I wasted ten years, getting close to him. And for what? This pathetic waste of flesh dies before he can fulfill his promise." She snapped while fixing her glare on Orochimaru.

"Then come with me. I'll find a way to help you." He held out a hand to her… and she took it. This village held nothing for her. Her only reason for staying so long lay dead at her feet.

"Fine." And they were gone in a flash.

**A/N: Yay or nay? Let me know what you think, please and thank you.**


	2. Chapter 2

If Only

(**A/N: **I have a bit of a potty mouth… that tends to be put on paper - well, computer - so, if you have an issue with language, please stop reading now. I really don't want to read reviews about my foul mouth/fingers. Thanks!)

~xxx~

The inn in a little civilian village wasn't as dingy as she had anticipated. It was clean, for one, and the building didn't reek of urine or booze like she thought it would. No, the inn was most definitely better than Oboro had hoped for. Two days had passed since leaving the broken shambles of what was left of the Grass village. Camping out in the wilderness had it's good and bad points, but at the moment all anyone wanted was a hot shower and good food.

"Spiffy…" she said with the wave of her hand. Kabuto had acquired two rooms. Of course they would have to share a room; Orochimaru always slept alone.

"You think that's nice, just wait until you see our room." Kabuto said as he moved towards the stairs.

"Oh, goody-goody gumdrops." Oboro snapped with a sarcastic sneer. She wasn't too keen on sharing her room with him. Spending the last two days getting on each others nerves didn't exactly help either.

"You make it sound as if I'm going to molest you in your sleep." Kabuto frowned as he reached the top of the stairs and turned to look at her. Orochimaru was just behind her with a smug look on his face.

"No… but I wouldn't put it passed you." She responded with a smug look of her own. Kabuto repressed the urge to shiver.

"You two look so much alike, it's kind of creepy."

"Che, look who's talking. Keep walking four-eyes!" As expected, Orochimaru let out a soft 'ku, ku, ku' while walking passed the glaring pair at the stairs. Kabuto didn't budge from his spot, to which Oboro sighed. She flash-stepped and appeared next to him and took the room key. "Not fast enough." She chimed and propelled herself in the direction of their room. He only growled and stalked after her.

The room was spacious and bright… maybe too bright. Oboro walked to the windows and closed some of the curtains. Painted an off-white, the room looked bigger than what it was but it was still large. The shag carpeting muffled any sound of footsteps as she wondered about the room. There was one problem though… there was only one bed. Well, at least there were two shower stalls in the bathroom.

"Not bad, huh?" Kabuto asked as he stepped into the room and closed the door.

Oboro spun around to face him while pointing to the bed. "Problem." She growled at him. Kabuto frowned; yes, this was a problem. The woman at the front desk must have thought they were together - as in lovers -and gave the one large bed to share. This could only end in disaster.

"I'll get us a different room." He said walking toward the door.

"Wait a minute." Oboro called from the bathroom door. She walked over to the bed and pulled the blankets back. Taking two of the four pillows, she made a wall in the middle of the bed. "Problem solved. There's no point in causing a scene when the two of you are wanted criminals. As long as you stay on your side, there isn't an issue."

"And which side is mine?" he asked with his arms crossed. Watching her closely, Kabuto moved toward the small table in the corner by the windows.

"Do I look like I care? Pick one." Oboro sighed as she waved her arms above her head in exasperation. She then turned heel and stalked back into the bathroom. "I'm taking a shower." And she slammed the door to punctuate her aggravation.

"Wench…" he hissed pulling the chair back and plopping into it.

"I heard that, fucker." Came her muffled reply as the water turned on. This was going to be a lot harder than they originally thought. Kabuto shot out of the chair and headed for the door.

"I'll be back." He called over his shoulder as he stepped into the hallway. When she didn't respond, Kabuto slammed the door and stalked away, muttering curses as he went.

~xxx~

Orochimaru sat at the foot of the bed, staring out the window when a soft knock rasped at the door. He didn't need to ask who it was for he could feel Kabuto's chakra radiating anger and malice. Flipping his damp hair over his shoulder, Orochimaru stood and padded softly to the door.

"Is something the matter, Kabuto?" by the look on Kabuto's face, the silver-haired youth was ready to kill someone.

"Everything is fine, Orochimaru-sama." He snapped with a healthy glare. The smug look fell from Orochimaru's pale features.

"Watch how you speak to me, Kabuto or I'll turn you into my latest experiment." It was Orochimaru's turn to glare as Kabuto stood in attention and bowed before him.

"I'm very sorry Orochimaru-sama." Kabuto stood upright but kept his eyes on the floor. "I was just going to pick up a few herbs while we're here, is there anything you need?" the medic asked as he looked off to the side.

"No, there isn't Kabuto." Orochimaru spat out as he tried to manage his anger. "Where is Oboro?" he asked noticing the absence of his daughter… err… creation.

"Oboro-_dono _is in the shower." The way he hissed her name told Orochimaru that they had another tiff and Kabuto got pissed off - as per usual. Nothing seemed to effect the Snake Vessel, least of all Kabuto's blatant disregard and utter contempt of her. Now, Orochimaru raised an amused brow. This was far more entertaining than he had imagined. "Shall I obtain another room?"

"No." He answered with a smirk, causing Kabuto's eyes to snap in his master's direction. "The inn keeper seems to think that you and Oboro are… involved. Things will go much smoother if you just shut your trap and let them believe what they want." There was a long pause with Kabuto standing in the doorway, staring at Orochimaru as if he had just sprouted a second head. "You can go now, Kabuto." And so he did, making a b-line for the stairs that lead to the lobby.

~xxx~

Oboro heard the door slam but paid no mind. If Kabuto wanted to be a drama queen that was fine with her. All she wanted was a hot shower and a steaming meal. A smirk fluttered across her lips as she stuck her head under the shower head. Oboro enjoyed watching the medic try to control his anger and all the snide remarks had been done on purpose. Although, Kabuto had enough respect to not do anything in front of Orochimaru, Oboro couldn't shake the feeling that Kabuto would get her back for it.

"Still," she whispered as she lathered shampoo into her hair. "It was fun to watch him squirm." She chuckled and scrubbed her scalp with her long fingernails. After ten minutes, Oboro was satisfied with her shower and began to clean her uniform; the only clothes she had with her. When she finished with that task, Oboro hung them on the towel rack to dry and turned off the water. The air felt cool against her steaming skin as she toweled herself off and pulled a bathrobe over her shoulders. There was a knock on the door.

"Well fuck, perfect timing." She hissed while stalking to the door. Whatever Orochimaru had to say, he definitely picked the wrong time to say it. Oboro flung the door open and growled. "What do you--" the words died on her lips as he presented her with a plate of sushi.

"You and your mother are so very much alike. Do you always answered the door like that… and in such a state of undress?" he said as the robe shifted, falling slightly off of her shoulder. Oboro eyed the plate while grabbing at the robe giving a huff of irritation. She turned from him and walked back into the room.

"My clothes are drying, I have nothing else to ware." She said over her shoulder, hearing the door close and Orochimaru's muffled steps just behind her. Oboro sat down at the table and pushed the other chair out for him with her foot.

"How considerate of you." Orochimaru sighed while sitting down and placed the food on the table.

"Really? Most people seem to think that monsters aren't capable of such kindness." She shot back, retying the waistband of the robe.

"I never intended for any of this to happen to--"

"No, you just wanted to take my body when the one you have now wares out. Am I right?" she snapped. Oboro had heard many stories about the man before her… and they didn't paint a pretty picture. Orochimaru simply nodded seeing no point in lying to her.

"Yes, but your mother lied to me. She told me that you had died. She gave you to those self-righteous bastards to be used as a weapon." He hissed at her with a glare, though it was not directed to her. "I had thought it a waste of time and energy to loose such a valuable experiment… such a disappointment."

"Disappointment? Do you have any idea of the hell I've been through because of your _experiments_?" her fists pounded on the table, snapping the thin wood structure in two pieces. "Your _disappointment _has been my nightmare for the past sixteen years! I never asked for any of this. Hell, I never even had a say in it. I'm not even human for that matter; I'm a monster. You made me, they perfected me. Its that simple." Her stomach growled then, effectively ending her tirade.

"And you've just ruined dinner." Orochimaru chuckled.

"Sorry…" she mumbled and straightened her robe.

"Get dressed, we're going out." Oboro sighed and walked into the bathroom.

"They're still wet." Orochimaru walked in and felt the material; yup, still soaking wet.

"I'll be right back."

~xxx~

Kabuto could not believe what he was seeing. He had been minding his own business when he caught a glimpse of purple in his peripheral vision. When he got a good look, Kabuto snickered. Oboro's scowling face came into view along with Orochimaru's smug features. Seeing is how they were in a civilian village with no shinobi contact, the three nuke-nin decided to conserve their chakra and forgo the disguises.

"I cannot believe you made me wear this _thing_!" Oboro hissed while gesturing to her clothing. She graced the streets of the small village in a dark purple kimono with a pale blue obi. When Orochimaru told her that he would get her some clothing - she hated it already - Oboro had not expected him to buy something like this. "I can't even fight in this damn thing."

"We are going to dinner, not a fighting ring." He said smoothly, not bothering to hide his amusement. Still, Oboro held on to the crook of his arm as they walked toward Kabuto.

"I hate purple." She sighed. There wasn't a point in talking about it anymore, she was already wearing the damned thing and it's not like Orochimaru was going to let her wonder the streets in just a bathrobe anyway. Although she would have preferred it over the god-awful thing she was dressed in now. "What the hell are you gawking at?" Oboro snapped, glaring heatedly at Kabuto, who proceeded to give her a once-over.

"If it weren't for that mouth of yours, I'd say I was looking at a completely different person." He smiled then, tilting his head to the side. "But I'd be wrong and you'd still be a bitch."

"What the hell did you just say?" she roared while jumping at him but Orochimaru held her back.

"If you two are quite finished, I'm hungry." The disgruntled duo glared at each other as they followed the Sannin into a small restaurant. The glaring contest continued through dinner as they ate and drank. And after a few shots of sake, the contest began to falter and conversation commenced.

"So," Kabuto began as he poured another shot for Orochimaru and himself, Oboro had stopped drinking about an hour ago. "How did _it _happen?" she gave him a curious look before glancing down at her stomach.

"Oh," she sighed through the drunken haze, running one hand over her flat abdomen. "Well, Susanoo was one of the village's councilmen - a very powerful man - when it happened. The village had grown concerned that there weren't any powerful shinobi clans within the village walls, and no one could match Zetsu if he chose to return. Also, with our nation the small size that it is, we were constantly in the middle of war…" she trailed off and took a sip of her water. "He sought out the demon and sealed him within me."

"That's not all, is it?" Orochimaru asked, looking at her from the corner of his eye.

"No." She said, a frown lining her pale face. "Before he sealed Yamata no Orochi within me, Susanoo gave explicate instructions that my life be placed in the hands of the Yagami clan. They knew the secret to releasing the demon, and kept it that way."

"Then what happened?" Kabuto asked, sobering up a little.

Oboro scowled then, her eyes narrowing to slits. "Yagami Joshi, then a sixteen-year-old ANBU, 'informed' the village council that his clan was planning to unleash Hachimata-sama on the village if they didn't meet their demands." By now, Orochimaru and Kabuto were leaning in hanging on every word she had to say. "He had been instructed to eliminate the clan and had been given sole headship of what was left when he was done." Oboro turned her gaze to the men at the table. "I met him the day after that. He told me it would take some time but he would help me. Joshi said he would release the demon if I did what he said. I was two months shy of six years old when we met… and I served him from that day forward."

Orochimaru understood now when she said things had been a waist. It was clear to him that they had been in agreement for their own gains. But what bugged him was why they were going get married. It seemed that they had all but finished the arrangement, so why get married at all?

"What was the marriage arrangement?" Kabuto beat him to the punch.

"The agreement was, we get married and produce an heir then he would release the demon and I could just walk away." But she new it would have been far harder than it sounded. Oboro was positive that Joshi would have found a way to make her stick around.

"Sounds like a line of bullshit to me." Orochimaru hissed; it was something he would have done if he was in the same position.

"Well, from where I sit, there aren't many options for me. I never wanted the demon but I don't want the Akatsuki to get their claws into him either."

"_**Well sssaid child." **_Hachimata spoke for the first time in two days.

"You were used and you used him as well." Orochimaru concluded after a moments pause.

"Well, I would say I learned from the best," she smiled softly. "But I've never met you before now." He chuckled at her words.

"I think it's about time we retired for the night." Orochimaru stood and held out a hand to her. She just shook her head and stood, moving around him. Oboro walked ahead of them and waited by the door as Kabuto paid the bill.

~xxx~

Something wasn't right when they returned to the inn. The blankets on the bed had been pulled off and one of the pillows had been ripped to shreds… as if someone had thought there was someone there and stabbed it repeatedly. Unease settled in the pit of her stomach. Hunter-nins had been here and it was more than likely that they were still in the vicinity.

"Grab your things Kabuto." She spoke softly while peering through the curtains. Oboro then walked into the bathroom and changed her clothes as Kabuto grabbed his pack.

"I'll got to Orochimaru-sama and sneak him out, meet us around back." Kabuto said as he poked his head into the bathroom. Oboro was pulling her shirt over her head when she turned to him with a frown.

"No." She said while tucking her shirt into her pants, completely ignoring the fact that Kabuto just got a good view of her bare chest. "Take him and head north, I'll meet you there once I've taken care of them."

"That's crazy, Hunters travel in squads of eight. There is no way you could defeat them." He stepped toward her, grabbing her by the elbows.

"If you don't let go of me I'll knock you out and leave you here to deal with them." Kabuto let her go, stepping back as if she had just burned him. Her hands moved in a blur, a red light glowed through the fabric of her shirt. Kabuto didn't feel the shift of her chakra as a snake slowly emerged from her back, morphing it's shape to mimic hers. After a moment, Oboro and her clone looked at Kabuto and smirked devilishly at him. "We can handle it." They said in unison.

"I'll take my leave then." He said and turned away. "Just don't die." With that, Kabuto fled, heading to Orochimaru's room and out of the building through the windows. Oboro shrugged her shoulders as her golden eyes faded to sliver.

"This'll be fun." She whispered to her clone who nodded.

"Let's not waste time then." The clone responded as they filed out of the bathroom. Oboro grabbed her mask and slipped it on before picking up the destroyed pillow case and tossing it to her clone.

"Cover your face, they can't see what we look like. If I made it into the bingo book, at least they won't have a picture to go by." Which was true. Her ID card didn't have a picture on it and there were no recent pictures of her to go by. Keiko and the village council had been smart about not revealing the identity of their secret weapon. But Oboro would stake her life on the fact that they hadn't expected her to leave the village. Their greatest secret was now their downfall.

Just outside of the inn, Oboro could feel several different chakra signatures. They were waiting for her to make her first move. And move she did. Blowing up the wall of windows and sliding into a smoke screen, Oboro and her clone silently slipped out and darted around the corner. Two Hunters stepped out of the shadows, big mistake.

Kunai zipped through the air, hitting their targets as Oboro slithered across the road to flank the group of Hunters. They were dead before they hit the ground. The clone ran in front, drawing the attention of the attackers.

"Ugh…" another had been taken out.

"Shosuke?!" someone called out in shock. The voice was feminine and scared. "Shosuke, answer me."

"I do believe he's dead." Oboro hissed as she came upon the woman. "A shinobi must never show emotion, especially in the face of the enemy." And before the woman could turn around - let alone, defend herself - the sharp blade of a kunai cut through her jugular. Blood spilled from the woman's throat as she wheezed, hands clutching at the gash that continued to pour undaunted. Four down, four to go.

Someone else cried out in agony followed by a gurgled howl.

'_Correction, make that three to go.' _Oboro thought wickedly while moving to her next target. And damn, the man was fast. He had run fifty meters by the time she had dropped the woman's body to the ground. "Jesus, I can't catch a break even when I have assassins on my ass." She spat as she took off after him. Oboro caught up to him in just a few seconds. God how she loved the flash-step technique.

"Kosei Oboro, you are under arrest for desertion. Lay down your weapons and come with me." The man said in a shaky voice. She scoffed.

"Why should I listen to you? Weren't you just running from me?" she chirped with a manic grin, sliver eyes gleaming in the moonlight. "Nakago, you should know better than to cross me. You were told to never get in my way and now… you are."

"I will not ask you again." He said a little more sure of himself.

"No."

"So be it." Nakago dropped into a crouch with a kunai in each had.

"I'll make it easy for you," she sneered, tilting her head to the side. "I won't use any weapons." He charged her, arms coming together in a scissor-like motion. Oboro ducked and swept his legs, knocking him to the ground. She followed immediately with a kick to the ribs.

_CRUNCH_

"Fuck…" Nakago hissed, flipping away from the nuke-nin.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did that hurt?" she mocked with a wave of the hand. "If that's the best you've got, I might as well lie down on my stomach. You obviously can't match me." A kunai struck her in the shoulder. She looked at it then back to him before she pulled it out and dropped it on the ground. "Too bad you missed my vital points."

"Maybe the kunai did, but the poison surely won't." Nakago hissed, still gasping from the kick. She had to have broken at least four of them.

"The demon will take care of that." Oboro gave a heart-stopping smile as she took a step towards him. In an instant, Oboro was buy his side with her fist _through _his abdomen. Retracting her arm, she watched as Nakago slipped effortlessly to the ground, coughing and spouting nonsense about someone named 'Kei'. He gasped one last time before closing his eyes and releasing that breath.

She coughed suddenly, blood dripping from her lips.

"**I could not ssstop all of it." **Hachimata sighed as if he was out of breath.

"Which way do we go?" a voice inquired. Oboro turned to see her clone dump two bodies, unceremoniously, on the ground. Oboro's vision began to blur.

"Head east from here." Came her shaky reply, slumping forward. The clone was there to catch her as Oboro's knees buckled.

~xxx~

The campfire cast an eerie glow as Kabuto and Orochimaru waited for Oboro to show. A rustle of leaves alerted the duo to an oncoming presents… but they couldn't distinguish any chakra signature. It wasn't until the clone stepped into the clearing that the pair had felt the unnatural aura of the demon. Unsettling? Yes, but what made the sensation worse was the fact that Oboro was on the clones back, panting heavily.

"What happened?" Kabuto asked as he rushed forward and helped ease Oboro to the ground.

"Poison." The clone responded, stepping back to let him work. Orochimaru hovered nearby, watching Kabuto as he worked. "It's safe to use your chakra, the enemy has been dealt with."

"I'll need some water and a clean cloth." Kabuto said as he ripped Oboro's shirt open at the sleeve. And before he could bat an eyelash, the clone had delivered. He stared in wonder for a moment before snatching the items and pulling a scalpel from his bag. After what seemed like forever, Kabuto asked Orochimaru for help.

With hands bloody to the wrists, Orochimaru held the wound open while Kabuto, painstakingly, poured his chakra into the wound and gathered the remaining poison. Once that was done, Orochimaru left to wash his hands as Kabuto stitched the long cut he had to make (to gain access to the last of the poison) and the kunai wound. He cleaned and disinfected the areas then he picked her up and took her into his tent.

"Shouldn't you've been dispelled by now?" the Sannin questioned as he looked over the clone.

She turned to him with a frown. "Hachimata felt it necessary that I stay outside her body… until she wakes up."

"You're running off of the demon's chakra?" she gave a nod in the positive. "That's a neat little trick." Orochimaru commented with a smirk.

"**Good night, sir." **Hissed the girl sitting at the fire. Her voice had changed, taking on an unnatural, serpentine chime. This was the demon… and it wasn't too keen on his company. He took the hint with a scowl.

"Damn demon, damn hunter-nin… fucking woman and her filthy lies. If only I had found out sooner…" he muttered as he stalked to his own tent. Come morning, the clone was gone and Oboro was up and eating with Kabuto. They left the area and were in Sound by nightfall. Oboro had apologized for Hachimata's rudeness and all was well. Well, about as good as things could be concerning the current situation.

**A/N: There you go, chapter number 2. Let me know what you think. M'kay.**


	3. Chapter 3

Meeting Team 7

(**A/N: **In this chapter, Oboro is sent to make sure Orochimaru's prize is developing well when she meets Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke. You'll get to see a whole new side of her. Enjoy the show!)

~xxx~

A few months had passed since Oboro was brought to Sound. Though she wasn't given any restrictions, Oboro kept to herself. Only socializing with those she saw as strong… which were _very _few. She spent a lot of her time in the company of Kabuto and Orochimaru, on missions or lounging about the base. Which, in turn, lead her to this latest mission.

Orochimaru had chosen Sasuke for his next vessel and needed to motivate the raven-haired boy into coming to him for power. But first, Orochimaru wanted to know just where the child was at, strength wise. And so, Oboro was given this task. How she went about it was hers to choose but that also meant that she had to be careful in her approach. The chances of him being with his team and their sensei was extremely high and with that came the possibility of being found out.

"There isn't much room for error in this mission, that is why Kabuto will be close by." Orochimaru instructed as they walked the dusky halls of the abandoned building. This wasn't the permanent base, but one that was much closer and had an easy escape route… just in case.

"I understand." She said walking next to him, never behind. It was a well versed rumor that Orochimaru and the 'New Whore' - as some would say - had a more personal relationship other than master-and-follower. But more often than not, one would find Oboro and Kabuto in one of the labs going over her latest blood work. It was all apart of the working relationship and nothing more.

"I expect a full report of his growth as soon as possible." He watched her nod from the corner of his eye and smirked. "If you feel that he is lacking… give him some advice but remember, you can't give yourself away." If it hadn't been for the mask she wore, Orochimaru would have seen the rise of her eyebrows.

"Is there anything else I should know before we head out?" she asked as they stopped at the door, Kabuto was just outside waiting for her.

"Stay away for Hatake if at all possible. The man is as sharp as a kunai." He stated firmly, his tone held finality and a firmness that she had become accustomed to.

"I understand, Orochimaru-sama." She still wasn't used to adding the honorific to his name and had gotten into trouble - fist fight - with him about it. She had won but still bowed to his commands because he had reminded her that he was trying to held her free the demon. So, she made it a point to say it whenever possible… but sometimes failed to do so. Without further delay, Orochimaru handed her a kunai pouch and turned to walk away. Oboro watched his turn the corner then gave him the finger. "Asshole-_sama_." She hissed then exited the building.

~xxx~

As usual, Sasuke was the first to arrive at the bridge, having some time to go over his plan for the day before the others arrived. And as usual, Sakura was next to arrive, smiling and waving as she approached him.

"Good morning Sasuke-kun. Did you get enough rest last night?" she asked in an ever cheery tone.

"Hn." Was his response as she turned away from her and looked across the brook running under the bridge.

"Hey Sasuke-kun, I was wondering if you wanted to train together after we train with Kakashi-sensei?" she asked, hopeful emerald eyes shone brilliantly at him.

Without turning to face her, Sasuke scowled. "You're annoying." He said and lightly kicked a stone off the edge of the bridge.

"HI SAKURA-CHAN!!" Naruto called as he rushed towards the his teammates with a big goofy grin. It wasn't long before Sakura was beating him within an inch of his life when Kakashi finally decided to poof in and greet them with his usual 'yo' and got yelled at for being late.

"Today, my young students, you will be collecting trash." Kakashi instructed the an eye crinkle.

"Another boring mission… when are we going to get a good mission?" Naruto complained as he crossed his arms and huffed.

"A mission's a mission, Naruto. Whether it be a D-rank or C-rank mission, we still have to do it." Sakura stated matter-of-factly while waving her finger at him.

"I still want a tougher mission." He grumbled with a healthy glare. "I bet the Teme here wants a tougher mission too." Sasuke just looked over his shoulder and glared at Naruto.

"Well. Let's get to it." Kakashi smiled under his mask. "Here are your supplies. We'll be by the Nakanao River today." He said then disappeared in a poof of smoke.

"Did he just-- did he just leave us?" Sakura fumed as she picked up her sack and pole. "Why that lazy, porn-reading, good-for-nothing sensei…"

"Quit whining and let's get this over with. You know he'll be watching." Sasuke spoke and walked over to gather his supplies. Naruto did the same and together they bounded over rooftops to their mission site.

~xxx~

Oboro scanned the banks of the river and sighed. Kabuto had left her there an hour ago, having told her that the team would be there shortly. She sighed, it was beginning to look like they wouldn't be coming at all. Then, just as she was about ready to give up for the day and head back to the hotel, the genin team appeared out of the tree line with bags and poles in hand. Oboro bent down and began to wash her hands in the water.

It was apart of her plan; let them see her first then find out about him… the hard way. She had to keep up the façade of being a shrink on vacation… that's how she got into the village with Kabuto as her escort. So far so good but she had only been in the village for two and a half hours. Not enough time to say a damned thing just yet.

As expected, Sasuke was the first to notice her. He stopped walking and looked at her as she stood and looked at him.

"Are you lost?" he asked while his teammates _finally _got the hint that there was someone else there.

"I'm afraid my escort and I got separated and I somehow ended up here." She gave a sheepish grin through her disguised features. To them she looked like an ordinary woman with brown hair and hazel eyes. But she heard stories about the Sharingan, Oboro knew better than to let her guard down around the raven-haired youth. It's a damn good thing she knew how to suppress her chakra while using it or she would have been busted the second he looked her way.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but there's nothing we can do about it right now." The pink-haired girl spoke with a light frown on her pretty face. "We were just assigned a mission and we have to complete it before we can leave."

"Where is your sensei?" Oboro asked as she walked toward the genin team.

"Oh he's probably in a tree reading his porn." The girl said with a disgusted look on her face. Oboro would have laughed if she hadn't been sent here to spy on the boy across the way.

"Well, do you mind if I tagged along? I assume you'll be heading back into the village when you've finished you mission?"

"Of course you can." The blonde boy cheered as he gave her a thumbs up and a wide grin.

"Thank you very much um…" she trailed off, trying to make it look like she had no idea who they were. Which was true. Oboro had no idea just who the other two were, just Sasuke.

"Forgive our manners." The pink-haired girl grinned. "I'm Sakura and this is Sasuke-kun." She said pointing to the raven-haired boy. "And this is Naruto." Sakura gestured to the blonde.

"It's nice to meet you. My name is Maya." She smiled softly at the trio as she stopped walking, having reached the team. "Please, carry on with your mission. I can wait a little longer." The three genin looked between each other and shrugged then started to pick up the trash and deposit it in their sacks.

An hour later, team seven decided to take a break from trash collecting on the hot summer day. They sat down on the bank with Maya who was refilling their water bottles for them.

"Maya, what do you do for a living?" Naruto asked as he opened a bowl of instant ramen and poured hot water into it.

"I'm a psychiatrist for young shinobi like yourself." She answered as she sat back down with the group.

"Why would genin need a shrink?" Sakura asked with her head tilted to the side, clearly confused.

"Well, some genin can't handle their first kill and need guidance to move forward with their careers. Or some get injured and don't wish to live anymore. My job is to get them back on track, to help them see passed their insecurities and help them move on." She explained as she looked between the three of them. They bought it, hook, line and sinker.

"Aren't you guys supposed to be collecting trash?" a voice asked from over head. Maya let out a squeak of surprise as the genin all stood and got back to work. Maya turned to see the silver-haired jonin sensei standing just a few feet away from the team, his book was absent from view.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to distract your cell from their work." She said as she bowed.

"That quite alright, we're just on a time limit." Kakashi said as he rubbed the back of his neck.

"You didn't say anything about a time limit." Naruto yelled from behind. Team seven doubled their pace to make up for lost time as Kakashi talked with the lost woman, none of them suspected a thing.

~xxx~

They entered the village around three that afternoon, Maya asked questions about the village. Having never been there before, she was curious about the place she would be staying for the next few days. As they rounded the corner of the street where Maya's hotel was, Kabuto came into view - disguised of course.

"Excuse me for a moment." Maya growled. "I going to give my escort a piece of my mind." The group watched as she stalked toward a dark-haired man.

"I'm so glad I found you. Where the hell have you been?" they heard the man say.

"Found me? _Found me? _A team of _genin _found me." She yelled angrily at the man. "What's the matter with you? Didn't you hear me say 'wait up, there's a rock in my shoe?'" she grabbed him by the collar and shook him. "What kind of brother-in-law are you? Just wait until I tell Kai about this. He's going to kick the crap out of you." Kabuto faked a shudder as she glared daggers at him. The people in the streets could only stare and laugh at the man being shaken like a rag doll.

"I'm sorry." He said as his hands wrapped around hers.

"Sorry isn't going to cut it. Did you know I haven't eaten since last night?" she growled, jerking him closer.

"Um… there's a ramen stand across the street." Naruto piped up as he pointed to Ichiraku's Ramen Bar. Maya dropped the poor man and turned toward the ramen stall. She smiled suddenly, mood changing from pissed to happy in a split second.

"Come on. I'll pay as a thank you for helping me."

"Wahoo! Ramen, here we come." Naruto cheered as he scurried over to Maya's side and thanked her profusely.

"Welcome back Naruto, how was the mission?" the owner of the stall said with a warm smile.

"It was boring. We had to collect trash… again." He sighed as he plodded down on one of the stools. The rest of the team filed in after him and sat down.

"Ah, I see some new faces here. Hello miss, how may I help you?"

Maya smiled at the older man and picked up a menu. "Naruto, what do you suggest?" she asked as her eyes scanned the menu.

"I've had every type of ramen they offer but their pork ramen is top notch." He grinned up at her. Maya nodded and set down her menu.

"I'll have a large deluxe bowl, please."

The group received their meals in no time and ate happily.

"The team tells me you're a shrink." Kakashi said as he watched the young woman eat. Maya nodded with a mouth full of delicious noodles. She swallowed and looked up at him.

"I am, for shinobi." She answered as she turned to look at him.

"Care to give us a demonstration?" he asked with an eye crinkle. Maya could tell he was testing her, she could feel it in his chakra and see it in his tensed body language. So, she smiled and gave another nod.

"Well, from what I saw of them, they don't work well as a team." She whispered not wanting the team to overhear her words. "Sasuke seems to have trouble trusting the other members and carries on the mission a distance away from the rest of the team. Sakura has her head in the clouds when she's around Sasuke which would cause problems for the team on more… dangerous missions. And Naruto…" she trailed off for a moment, trying to think about how to word this properly. "Naruto tries too hard to prove himself to everyone. Whatever happened to make him this way will only impede his development and the function of the team."

"Is that all or do you have some suggestions?" Kakashi ventured as he bowed his head to hear her more clearly.

"More rigorous team building activities. Sometimes you just have to toss them into the action for them to make any progress. But that's only a suggestion. Whether or not you follow it is completely up to you." She shrugged her shoulders. "Would you mind if I talked to them, one-on-one? I can't help but feel a little apprehensive about letting them just walk away without some sort of helpful advice."

"Of course." Kakashi agreed with a sweep of his hand. "If you're not busy tomorrow, I can have them meet you at separate times during the day."

Maya clapped her hands together. "That would be wonderful."

~xxx~

(8a.m. the next day)

Sakura waited patiently at the bridge for a meeting with her sensei. Like always, Kakashi was late. She had been waiting for about twenty minutes when she spotted him walking with Maya.

"What in the world is going on?" she asked as they stopped in front of her.

"Maya-san had asked to speak with you. She wanted to give you and the boys some advice before she leaves in a couple days." Kakashi stated as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. He turned to Maya and nodded. "I'll leave you to it then." And he was gone in an instant.

"Good morning Sakura-chan. I know this may seem a little weird but I can assure you, anything you say will not be repeated." Maya said as she leaned against the railing. "Go ahead and tell me about yourself, I'm all ears."

"Well…" she started while rubbing her hands on her knees and sat down on the bridge with her feet dangling off the side. "I come from a normal civilian family. I'm the first of my family to become a shinobi and I try really hard to make my family proud." Sakura stopped and looked up at Maya who had sat down next to her. "The boys are so far ahead of me… I just feel like I'll never be able to catch up to them."

"A lot of pressure is placed upon kunoichi. There are certain missions that men can't do and this is a male dominated profession." Maya nodded as she spoke. "It can be tough on a young girl and the boys feel like they must protect you because you are a girl." She looked Sakura in the eyes then, a very serious gleam in her hazel orbs. "Prove to them that you're not just some girl. Make them see that a kunoichi is more than just a pretty face."

"But my forehead is huge, everyone knows that." Sakura sighed as she turned her head to look away. Maya gently grabbed Sakura's chin and made her look back at her.

"If that's what you're worried about then you shouldn't be here." Maya said sternly. "Have you ever heard Naruto or Sasuke say anything about your forehead?" Sakura shook her head in the negative. "They are the most important people in your life and if they can look passed a trivial matter like that… then why can't you?"

Sakura sat there, bug-eyed, for a moment before she smiled and nodded. "Your right, Maya-san. I'll try my best." They talked for a little while longer before Kakashi came back to escort Maya to where she was to meet Naruto. Of course, Ichiraku's wasn't hard to find, neither was the loud blonde sitting at one of the stalls.

~xxx~

(11a.m. Ichiraku's Ramen Bar)

"Hi Naruto." Maya chimed as she sat next to him and ordered a bowl.

"Morning Maya-chan. Kakashi-sensei said you wanted to talk to me." She nodded and dug into her miso ramen.

"You can tell me anything and you have my word that I won't tell a soul." Naruto looked at her with a suspicious gaze.

'_**Thisss boy isss the Kyuubi vessel.' **_Hachimata hissed in her ear. Oboro hid her shock well as she smiled down at the boy. All the while, the Kyuubi squirmed uncomfortably in the back of Naruto's mind.

"Can we go somewhere less crowded?" he asked after he finished his fifth bowl.

"Of course, anywhere you feel comfortable." He lead her to the Hokage monuments at the top of the mountain.

"So… what's this about anyway?" Maya shuffled her feet for a moment, Hachimata kept yelling at her to 'get rid of that mangy fox' and she found it quite hard to hear the boy speaking to her.

"Naruto," she spoke in a soft voice. "Why do some of the villagers glare at you? Why do they seem to avoid you like you have the plague?"

Naruto stiffened and looked down at the ground. "I can't tell you exactly why they do what they do… but some people think I'm a monster."

Maya thought she might cry… but, damn it all, she was above that. "Naruto, look at me." She commanded softly. "What's the one thing you want most?"

"I want people to stop disrespecting me and start respecting me… I want to be a great ninja. One day… one day I'll be Hokage!" he proclaimed as he pumped a fist in the air. Maya had been caught off guard by his words, all she could do was stare.

"Do you want to know what I think?" she asked as she sat down. Naruto sat next to her and waited for her to continue. "I think you'll be a great shinobi and even greater Hokage. You just have to focus and help your team." Maya stated while she looked into his sapphire orbs. "Strength doesn't win you respect, helping those who can't help themselves does. If your team is in trouble, don't be afraid to lend a hand… even if they don't want it."

"I understand… I think." He scratched his head and gave her a goofy grin. Maya laughed at his antics and slapped her knee.

"You'll understand in do time." She looked down at her watch and sigh. "I guess we should head back, I'm supposed to meet Sasuke at his house."

~xxx~

(2p.m. the Uchiha training grounds.)

Sasuke watched her approach with a calculating gaze. Kakashi had told him the Maya wanted to give him some advice. Bah, to hell with whatever she had to say. This was only getting in the way of his training.

"Good afternoon Sasuke." She greeted him with a wave of her dainty hand.

"Hn." He grunted, tossing another kunai at the straw target. It hit with a rustle and soft thump.

"I came to give you some advice about your te--"

"I don't need your advice nor your help." He spat and glared at her.

"If that's how you want to play, fine." She responded as she crossed her arms. "I'll tell you what. Why don't we place a bet?" she ventured with a smirk. Kakashi stood off to the back, he knew Sasuke would be a challenge. Kabuto was off in the woods, hiding his chakra and waiting to collect the necessary data. "My husband taught me taijutsu, so why don't we have a little match? If I win, you have to sit down and talk to me."

Sasuke turned to face her. "And if I win?"

"If you win, I'll leave you alone." It was a fair deal to which, Sasuke agreed. He charged her, running at top speed with hands clinched in tight fists. Kakashi was about to intervene when Maya sidestepped and pushed Sasuke, causing the raven-haired boy to stumble and fall flat on his ass. "I believe that's game." Kakashi left after that, noticing the defeated look in the young Uchiha's eyes.

Being a man about it, Sasuke sat down with a grunt.

"You're a very angry kid." Maya commented while sitting down and crossing her legs. "You don't have to go into full detail, just tell me why you're so angry." Sasuke stared at her for a long time as Maya twisted her fingers in her shirt.

"He murdered them… and I'll make him pay." He finally spoke. Ok, more like hissed but you get my drift.

"Ok…" she sighed while rubbing the bridge of her nose. "How can you make him pay when you can't even work with your team? You have all this pent up rage, yet no means of releasing it."

"I train everyday. That's all I need." He snapped with a glare that could kill. Maya just sat there, unaffected buy his statement.

"Really? Then why is it that I just pushed you and you fell on your ass… let's not forget the fact that I _not _a shinobi." She said with a smirk. Sasuke's fist slammed on the ground. "See? That's what I'm talking about. Focus your anger; use it, mold it with your chakra… it will make you stronger." Her voice had taken on a new tone, like she was coaching him like his mother used to. "Stand up, let's see your kunai technique again."

He stood as she stood, reaching for another kunai. Maya stood behind him, whispering, taunting him into a rage. Sharigan bleed through his onyx orbs as he imaged the target was his brother and tossed the kunai. Instead of hitting the target, the kunai passed through its center and into a tree with a slap. He turned to her sharply, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"Now… about your teamwork."

~xxx~

"We've got everything we need. Now we just need an excuse to get out of here early." Kabuto said as he looked at the little card in his hand.

"_We_? You did jack shit the entire time. _I _got us what we needed. _You can get us out of here." Oboro hissed with a golden glare. He glared right back at her from across the table. _

"_I got it!" he exclaimed as he stood. "Your clone, can it take on my form?" he asked as he stood and closed the curtains._

"_Yeah… transforming is an elementary skill." She answered as her glare deepened._

"_I could send an urgent message and get us out of here by tomorrow afternoon." He smirked._

"_What kind of message?"_

"_You'll just have to wait and see." So when dawn came, the pair went about their business as Oboro and her clone walked through the village accompanied with Iruka (who found out about her through Naruto). Kabuto disguised himself as a messenger and scurried his way to the Hokage tower. As with all nin-mail, it went to the Hokage first then it was distributed. When her letter arrived on Sarutobi's desk, he first stared at it then opened it._

"_This is terrible news." He sighed and closed the letter. The proud Hokage stood from his seat, he had missions to assign but he also wanted to deliver the letter personally. He found her with Naruto and Iruka at the all too familiar ramen stall._

"_Mrs. Utake, I presume?" Sarutobi asked as the young woman turned to face him. She bowed when she stood and stepped after him into the street. "This is for you." 'Maya' took the letter and opened it… then she started to cry._

"_Maya, what's the matter?" her clone rushed forward, playing the role of a caring brother-in-law._

"_It's Kai… he… was killed in action." She gasped, cranking up the waterworks a notch or two higher. _

"_I think it'd be best if we went home." The clone responded and lead the sobbing girl to the hotel to pack. _

_~xxx~_

"_The two of you were only gone for three days, how could you accomplished your mission in that time?" Orochimaru demanded as he glared at them._

"_She should receive an award for her acting skills… especially when it came to Sasuke." Kabuto tossed as he smirked in her direction._

"_What?" she snapped with the shrug of her shoulders. "He charged me, so, I moved. He only fell on his ass, it's not like I picked him up and threw him."_

"_Give me the information and get out of my sight. Your bickering is giving me a headache." Orochimaru warned as he scowled. Kabuto set the card on the table and they left the room, arguing back and forth about their roles in the mission. "Those two will be the death of me." He commented bitterly then picked up the card. A smirked fluttered across his lips. This was going to be very interesting._


	4. Chapter 4

**This will not happen again**

**(A/N: **Warning, this chapter contains a lemon. That's all the notice you'll get.)

~xxx~

There were just three months before the chunin exams and her missions continued to increase. Some were more difficult than others and some… let's just say, Oboro had more fun picking her nose than waiting in the shadows to collect information. In all honesty, Oboro hated the spying part of her job. She preferred the short, action-packed missions. Well, at least she had someone to talk to. Kabuto had been forced to come with her on this one.

"Don't glare at me. I didn't make you tag along." She spat as Kabuto gave another growl. "And I certainly didn't want you to come either." Oboro smirked as his glare intensified. They were standing at the docks of a small fishing village, just outside of Kirigakure, waiting on the boat to take them further into Wave country. Their mission was to look in on one of the bases which held a number of test subjects. Apparently, Orochimaru didn't trust her enough to do it alone. _'To hell with him.' _She thought as the boat lulled up to the dock.

"I have more important things to do than play babysitter." He growled out as they stepped aboard the dingy vessel.

"Your hands don't count." Came her retort, sauntering over to an open bench. As unexpected as her reply was, all Kabuto could do was stare while following her. But he didn't say a word; it was none of her business who he slept with.

"So says the woman who can't keep a lover." Kabuto finally said with a smirk. Hell, every man she had been with disappeared the next day. Oboro turned her head to look at him.

"You know, in some species of cobra when the female finds the male to be inadequate…" she paused, a small smile lining her lips. "The female will devour the male and look for a new one." Well damn, now she sounded like a praying mantis or black widow instead of the slithering serpent she was.

"So you…" he looked around to the other people on the boat then back to her, lowering his voice. "You killed all five of them?" he asked, suddenly finding it harder to breath.

"They were… unworthy of further attention." In other words; she wasn't satisfied with their performance which left her _un_satisfied at the end. Her golden eyes locked on his for a brief moment, braking when the boat jerked and swayed away form the dock. The rest of the journey was spent in silence as the boat pulled to port at a small rice crop village.

~xxx~

Samehada gave a low hum in Kisame's ear. Something big was near. He grinned and turned to his partner.

"Itachi-san, I do believe we have a hit."

"Hn." The younger of the pair replied as he turned to his blue-skinned partner. "How far?"

"Less than a mile south." Kisame grinned wider. He knew his partner well enough to know that Itachi was interested in the turn of events. So far they hadn't see or felt anything out of the ordinary for weeks. Now though, both men weren't going to waist time guessing just which one was nearby. Leader gave explicate instructions to find and capture whichever tailed beast they came across first… and God knows you don't take Leader-sama lightly.

"Inform Leader-sama first, then we will move in." The Uchiha stated while walking farther down the road. They needed a more secluded area to perform the jutsu, being so close to Kirigakure was dangerous.

~xxx~

Believe it or not but the Waterfall village wasn't the only place where you could find such a breath taking site. The water was the color of the sky, such a clear blue you cold see to the bottom of the wading pool. A rainbow glowed benevolently above as if saying nothing could go wrong here, but she knew better. Only time would tell as the horrors of Test Site 13 lay just behind the obvious illusion.

Kabuto lead the way up the rocky cliff trail and behind the waterfall. A cave came into view the closer they got; a crack was more like it. The opening was so small that they had to walk sideways to reach the bolted metal door at the end. Using his chakra, Kabuto opened the door and slid inside. Oboro followed close behind as they stepped into a large cavern. There were six hallways to choose from but he led them to the second on the left.

"The lab is just down the hall." He said over his shoulder while he continued along the corridor. "It won't take long to get the information." She nodded as she walked, looking into the rooms they passed. A number of them had gurneys under a large light. Most of which were stained with blood. A shiver ran the length of her spine.

"What kind of experiments did he perform here?" Oboro questioned, a disgusted tone in her velvety voice. Kabuto stopped walking and turned to face her.

"If it weren't for the lies, none of this would've been necessary." He said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Oboro rolled her eyes. "You didn't answer my question." She gave a huff and crossed her arms.

Kabuto rolled his eyes. "Anatomy. He had to find a way to make the Curse Seal work properly, so, a lot of people were subjected to experimentation." He said as he walked into a room. His fingers tapped the keys of the computer and accessed the necessary files.

"Then why come here if you aren't using it?" she asked as she leaned against the wall. Kabuto turned from the computer and smiled at her. A smile that sent a chill through her body.

"But we are." And to prove his point, Kabuto turned on the lights. The room was lined from floor to ceiling with rows of tubes… with bodies in them. Oboro pushed herself off the wall and walked cautiously over to one of them. What surprised her about them was that they kind of looked like her. The familiar ebony hair, pale skin and purple eye markings making it blatantly obvious that they were trying to make the perfect shell. "You were special, it seems."

"How so?"

"You were the only one to survive… these are basically your clones - sisters - yet you were the first and only survivor." He said while walking to stand behind her. Oboro placed a hand on the tube and cocked her head to the side.

"Why the curse seal? It won't work if they don't have chakra to attach the seal to." Her hand slid down the glass as she watched the lifeless body bob softly from side to side.

"If any of them survived, they would be given a supplement to keep the little chakra they had at a more normal level until they were ready to be used. Thus making the curse seal a viable attachment and insuring their survival until they were needed." Kabuto explained then turned back to the computer. "We can go now, the information has been downloaded." Oboro walked away from the tubes and out the door without a second thought.

~xxx~

Itachi looked over the water in the waiting pool and frowned. Kisame had to be wrong. Said blue-skinned shinobi grunted as Samehada gave a low hum. It was definitely here, but where exactly? The waterfall roared before them but there was nothing else to see.

"You are certain it's here?" the Uchiha questioned in a board tone.

"Of course, Samehada doesn't lie." Kisame responded as he looked around. Just up ahead there was a toe-path that led up to the waterfall but it seemed to stretch and go up and around the falls. "Split up and search?" he suggested but was too late, Itachi was already walking up the path. Snakes erupted from behind the waterfall. There was no warning, no flare of chakra and no time to react to the slithering serpents that made their way to the two-man cell. Itachi and Kisame jumped back, landing atop the water of the wading pool. "That didn't take very long."

"What do you want?" a voice asked, oddly feminine through the roar of the falls. Neither man said a word as Kabuto and a young woman stepped into view.

"Yakushi Kabuto, stand aside." Itachi said as he took a step forward.

Oboro looked between Kabuto and the two shinobi down below. "Friends of yours?" she asked with a smirk.

"Hardly." Kabuto answered as he moved closer to her. He turned his attention back to the two Akatsuki members. "What business do you have here?"

"Hand over the Jinchuuriki and you'll live." Kisame growled while hefting Samehada and readjusting said sword.

"And what makes you think I'm a Jin-whatever-you-call-it?" Oboro sneered as she crossed her arms. "I'm just another soldier."

"Samehada doesn't lie, bitch."

"Did he just say what I think he did?" she asked with her jaw agape and heavy glare in her eyes.

Kabuto reached into his pack and pulled out a scalpel. "Calm down," he whispered to her. "You can't let them see the demon's power."

"You're suggesting I hold back." She said more than asked, her voice just as low as his. Kabuto nodded. "Fine, which one do you want?" she sighed while reaching for a scroll.

Kabuto was smiling mirthfully when he looked at her. "I'll take Itachi." And with that, Kabuto leapt away.

"Thanks for stiffing me with the fish, asshole!" she shouted then ducked, Kisame didn't waste any time getting to her. For the sake of keeping her cover, Oboro let him kick her in the gut. The force of which sent her skidding to a stop on the banks of the small pool. "That was smart." She grunted as she stood.

"I'm surprised I didn't brake you." Kisame sneered with a devilish grin. He sung Samehada wide and crouched all in the same motion. Oboro staggered back, feeling her chakra slip away as the sword just missed her nose. It wasn't a lot but it was enough for her to know not to get too close to him.

'…_And with a long range and radius… I have no choice but to get right on top of him.'_ She thought as Kabuto landed next to her, and not in a good way. Playing her part, Oboro moved away from the two men as Itachi appeared next to Kisame. "Desperate times call for desperate measures." She whispered and tossed her scroll on the water. A quick succession of hand signs later her foot stomped on the scroll and the water began to churn. Once a crystal clear blue color, the water dimmed to an inky black, thick in viscosity. A final flick of the wrist and Oboro made the signs for a Katon jutsu. White, hot fire ignited along the surface of the wading pool causing the Akatsuki members to jump for safe ground while Oboro snatched up Kabuto and beat a hasty retreat.

"I really hate dirty tricks." Kisame rumbled, watching as Oboro ran at a lighting pace away from them.

"It forced us to seek shelter, did it not?" his monotone partner responded. Kisame nodded with a grunt. "Then her plan worked perfectly."

"I'd love to learn that little trick though."

"I already have." Sharingan eyes narrowed in the direction of the retreating party. He turned away from them and walked calmly in the opposite direction. "Kisame, come."

~xxx~

Kabuto had no idea what to think when he woke up some hours later. He was in a tent, that's all he knew. Kabuto looked himself over to find bandages on just about every part of his body and his chakra was working overtime to heal the more serious injuries. He sat up with a grunt, letting the covers pool around his naked torso.

"Lie back down, you haven't healed enough to move too much." Came a voice from the other side of the tent. Oboro sat hunched over in the corner, mask on the ground and hair in her face. When she looked up, Kabuto could see the bags under her eyes. So, he tried his best to lay down without hurting himself as Oboro crawled over to him.

"How long have I been out?" he asked as he noticed that Oboro had left her mask on the floor.

"A few hours, seven tops." She sighed rubbing her eyes with the palms of her hands. "As I'm sure you're aware, you're in a tent. I met up with a group of gypsies… imagine my surprise when a few of them started crying when they saw you." There was a hint of a smile on her lips as she looked over his bandages but the tiredness in her eyes spoke far clearer.

"Ah, yes, I trade with them a lot." Kabuto said while watching her work. "You know, I never imagined you as a medic."

Oboro glanced up at him. "I've watched you enough to get the basics. Besides, you little trick has been working better since I crushed a soldier pill and put it in your water." She pulled the blankets back up to his chest and sat back on her heels. "Do you thing you can hold something down?" Kabuto nodded and she stepped out side of the tent.

While she was out, a few women poked their heads into the tent to see how well he was doing. Kabuto just lay there with his eyes closed as he listened to them whisper back and forth with a giggle here and there. It became apparent to him that the gypsy women believed that he and Oboro were an item. As much as he might want that to be, Orochimaru would have his head if he tried anything with her.

"That's enough ladies." Oboro said as she stopped in front of the tent. "He needs to rest still, leave him be." The women cleared the way and Oboro walked back into the tent. Kabuto opened his eyes and stared upward. "You know, for an evil doctor, you sure do have a lot of fan-girls."

Kabuto scowled. "Don't remind me." He looked at her then. Oboro was smiling an evil smile with her head cocked to the side. "What the hell did you tell them?"

"The truth." She said with a huff. "That we are mission partners and you got your ass handed to you on a silver platter." Oboro stalked over to him and set the tray of food down. He glared daggers at her. "If it makes you feel better… I didn't tell them that I was holding back."

Kabuto jumped then, pouncing on her like a hungry lion. He trapped Oboro under him as the blanket fell away. It was only then that he realized that he was completely naked. His exposed member brushed none too gently against her thigh but Kabuto repressed a shiver. He was too pissed off to care about physical desire.

"If you so much as whisper this to any one… I'll make you pay." He hissed to her, never mind the fact that his hair had been let out of its ponytail and now showered over her face. She smirked at him, playing it cool.

"Make me pay… how?" she beamed up at him, fully enjoying the frustrated glare she was receiving from him. Her arms were pinned at the wrists, torso trapped under his and one of her legs was twisted around his. Aside from the burning heat pooling in her abdomen, Oboro was as cool as a cucumber in their very suggestive position. A grin suddenly formed on Kabuto's lips as he settled a little more of his weight on her pelvis.

"I have my ways." The attraction had always been there, they had just never acted upon it - mostly ignored by both parties. But now - and in such a state - they couldn't ignore it. Kabuto's lips descended to hers, pressing softly to gauge her reaction. Onyx eyes fixed on golden orbs as Oboro pressed back. Her eyes fluttered closed as she tilted her head… and the battle was on. The kiss went from a test to a full blown dominance competition. Oboro flipped them over and straddled his hips, never breaking contact with his mouth as her hands glided over his chest and arms.

"Oboro-dono… Toshiro wishes to speak with you." A voice called from outside the tent. Oboro shot up and flew away from Kabuto as if coming to her senses.

"I'll be right there." She said as if there was nothing wrong. All the while she looked upon Kabuto as if he was the only man on earth and she the last woman. "Maybe another time." She whispered to him as Kabuto snatched the blankets to cover his erect manhood. "Eat up and get some rest. We leave early tomorrow."

~xxx~

It had to have been about three in the morning when Kabuto sat up and got dressed. He had passed out some time ago, waiting for Oboro to return… but the thing was, she hadn't. He stepped out of the tent and found that everyone was asleep, save a couple men sitting by the fire. Kabuto had asked them where she ran off to and they had told him that she went down to the river. And so he went.

Oboro hand just taken off her shirt and pants when Kabuto emerged from the bushes. She stared at him for a good long while as he sat down on a rock.

"And just what do you think you're doing?" she asked with her hands on her hips.

"You know, no one's going to take you seriously when your half naked." He said with a smirk. Oboro's hands flew into the air in exasperation. Figuring that she wouldn't be rid of him any time soon, Oboro reached for the clasp of her bra and unsnapped it with one hand. Kabuto just watched as the dark fabric fell to the ground atop the pile of clothes. And before he know it, Oboro was naked and in the water. She swam around the warm water in the dark while Kabuto just sat there.

"I'm sure if you're well enough to walk around, you can take a dip and get clean." She hollered from the water. Kabuto smirked and began to undress. Moments later he joined her in the deeper end of the river as she floated while waiting for him. She suddenly found herself being grabbed by the arm and spun around in the water.

"You tempt me, woman." He growled then pressed his lips roughly against hers, dragging Oboro closer as the water lapped around them. Oboro responded immediately, arms waving around his neck and legs encasing his middle. Kabuto pulled back a moment later and gazed into her lust filled eyes.

"I do not tempt." She hissed. "I simply push for what I want." This time, she growled and descended upon him. The kiss grew in intensity as Kabuto moved them to shallow waters.

He was not gentle and she was not quiet. The moment Kabuto's feet scraped against the rocky surface of the riverbed he sheathed himself within her. Oboro let out a loud cry of pleasure as his thick member careened into the bundle of nerves deep inside. There was no foreplay, they were not lovers - in the 'love' sense. No. This was strictly a release from the everyday. The wanting, wondering… the need to feel something different. To ignore the desire now would only prove that they were insane.

Oboro's legs tightened around his waist as Kabuto began to thrust faster and harder, the sudden need for release becoming more and more prominent as the time ticked by. Her full breasts pressed firmly against his chest, heaving and gasping as she called his name time and time again. Kabuto's hands grasped her ass in a firm grip while he buried his face in her shoulder, biting the juncture before his nose. By now, she had begun to work with him, hips moving in rhythm to his thrusts. The friction between them was blissful as they moaned and sighed in pleasure. Finally, her walls began to quiver, signaling that she was near. Kabuto doubled his efforts, pounding relentlessly into her flesh as Oboro cried out into the night.

"Ka-Kabuto!!"

"Nngh…" she squeezed him tightly, milking him for everything he had as he emptied himself within her. For a moment, no one spoke as they tried to catch their breath. Kabuto set her down in the water and rested his forehead against her shoulder as Oboro shifted closer to him, arms still around his neck. "Was it good for you?" he asked jokingly.

"I am satisfied." She murmured into his chest, eyes drooping from exhaustion. He pulled back and gently moved her head to look into her eyes.

"Do this mean I'll live to see my next birthday?" he smirked as she glared. He would have to live in order to help Orochimaru find a way to help her rid herself of the demon.

"This will not happen again." Oboro said, stepping away from him.

"Agreed." Kabuto responded with a nod.

Little did they know how wrong they were. But for the time being, satisfaction would prove to calm the nerves and put their rivalry on hold. Only time would tell just how long the arrangement would last. It couldn't go beyond this night, this moment, for the consequences were far greater than the rewards of their need to feel alive. You live for so many years but death lasts an eternity.

A/N: Birthday present to myself… finishing this chapter. Happy birthday to me. Leave a comment please and thank you.


	5. Chapter 5

Sasuke

A/N: This chapter focuses on the switch in dynamics when Sasuke appears. Hope you like it… and yes, there will be a lemon in this chapter. Sorry it took me so long to get this up… I've got a lot of things going on right now.

~xxx~

The exams didn't go as planned. That was for damn sure. Well, one thing had gone right; Orochimaru got what he wanted. Granted, the boy didn't show up until two weeks after the fact. The boy was quiet and only spoke to Orochimaru or Kabuto on any given occasion. But what really struck her about the boy was the fact that he looked so much like Uchiha Itachi. It was a month later that Kabuto told Oboro the truth about the boy. She felt for him, she really did, but she had her own issues to deal with at the moment.

"Oboro, I need you for a very important mission." Orochimaru said with a wide grin. Sasuke stood off the left of where the Sannin was seated in his chair. Oboro had seen that look before. It was the same look he gave her just before he shipped her and Kabuto off to Wave country. This did not bode well for her.

"Solo?" she asked, eyes locking briefly with Kabuto's who gave a slight shake of the head.

"You will be heading to Snow… alone." He said to her, watching her frown.

Oboro crossed her arms over her chest and gave a indignant snort. "Planning on me freezing to death?" she spat with a glare.

"This mission shouldn't take that long." Orochimaru stood from his seat, his new body had worked wonders for him. After what had happened, Oboro seriously doubted the man's ability to work. But that was soon rectified with the body transfer technique. Though she did feel sorry for the poor guy who died to give him this new form. He walked toward her, a smug look on his face. "And besides, it's your favorite kind of mission."

Her eyes lit up then, assassination had always been her strongest suit. "How's the target?" she asked as her arms returned to her sides. Orochimaru held out a scroll for her and gave a small wink.

"You'll see…" he smiled. "Leave first thing tomorrow." She gave a nod in the positive and turned away. She nodded to Sasuke before walking out of the room. Really, that was all the contact she had with him. Not once did her speak to her nor did she actually talk to him. It was like some unspoken rule that they kept their distance from each other.

"She is powerful." Sasuke said more than asked as he watched her walk away.

"You don't know the half of it." Kabuto spoke while walking toward the small table in the center of the room. "So, lunch then?"

~xxx~

Sasuke flanked the right, ducking behind a tree. Orochimaru wasn't going easy on him, as promised. Oboro had been gone that whole week and they weren't expecting her back for another couple of days, so training was a bit tougher… Orochimaru seemed worried. Well, if you could tell from his mood… maybe.

"You've gotten better at masking your chakra, ne Sasuke-kun?" sneered the Sannin as he made a string of hand signs. Calculating crimson eyes peered around the tree trunk. Orochimaru stood out in the open, stance unmoving with his arms at his sides. Not one to be fooled, Sasuke looked to the Sannin's feet. They were a shoulder's width apart, one slightly pointed outward while the other remained straight; perfect for a quick attack or dodge. Clearly the man before him wasn't named 'Sannin' for nothing.

"You should keep your senses open," a voice said from directly behind. Sasuke stiffened and turned his head to look over his shoulder. There stood Oboro with a wicked smirk on her lips. "You may have more than one opponent you have to fight." With that said, she lunged at him. Sasuke was aware enough to duck and flip away from her then Orochimaru filled his vision, cutting him off before he could land. Twisting his body in mid air, Sasuke was able to dodge Orochimaru's attack… just barely. He landed on a branch and watched as Oboro appeared next to Orochimaru, nodding her greeting and smirking at something he whispered to her.

"We shall continue this tomorrow." Orochimaru said as he turned from them and walked toward a hole in the ground. This portion of the base was located in the Sound's forest where there were very few people to interrupt them. His eyes zoned in on a tare in Oboro's shirt. "Did you run into trouble?" Orochimaru asked as he lifted her arm to get a better look.

Oboro sighed. "It's nothing." She answered when he let go of her arm. "Just a few Hunters on the way back."

"Have Kabuto look at it." Orochimaru said with a glare, he knew she would just let it go and have the demon deal with it. But, not one to let important tools go to waste, Orochimaru kept her and Kabuto in top condition… even if that meant that the medic had to heal a tiny blemish. Oboro sighed, Orochimaru wasn't going to give up easily.

"Fine, fine. I'll go see him now."

~xxx~

"Sasuke this, Sasuke that… grr… if Orochimaru didn't need that kid so bad I'd strangle him with clothing line." Kabuto hissed as he stomped around the lab. "… disrespectful little shit!"

"Sounds like someone had a bad week." Came Oboro's voice from the doorway. Kabuto turned to see her closing the door behind her.

"Thank God, someone sane!" Kabuto said with a dramatic raise of the arms.

"I hear eight hissing voices on a daily basis, yet I'm the sane one? Are you ok?"

Kabuto plopped down in one of the chairs and sighed. "I'm fine… it's just that damn Uchiha, annoying little bastard." Kabuto was looking at his hands, as if seeing them for the first time. "All week long Orochimaru has been lavishing him with attention while the rest of us seem to be getting in the way."

"Sounds like jealousy to me." Oboro chimed, walking further into the lad.

"I'm not jealous!" he snapped with a healthy glare.

"Yes, you are." She said back while hopping up onto the examination table. "Tell me, who would Orochimaru turn to before Sasuke came along?" Kabuto didn't answer. "You." She said with a smirk. "And now that Sasuke is here, Orochimaru has his hands tied and that bothers you."

"How is it that you know so much about people when you have very little interaction with them?" he asked turning his attention from his hands to her.

"I'm the 'sane' one, remember?" Kabuto chuckled at her words, closing his eyes and shaking his head.

"You're right. Now, what brings you here?"

"I have a boo-boo that needs to be looked at." Oboro answered with a roll of the eyes. Kabuto chuckled again.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say Orochimaru was being an overprotective father."

"It's a good thing you know better." Oboro smiled while tugging her shirt loose from her pants. She always wore shirts that were a little on the long side, her excuse: 'they'll always miss if they think I'm fat.' With the shirt tucked in, it made her torso look wider with the shirt slightly pulled out at the waist. Her pants were baggy too, one size too big.

"Alright, let's see this nonexistent boo-boo of yours." It was a little weird for Kabuto to refer to a wound as a 'boo-boo' but then again, the situation had never been serious. Oboro always came back unharmed or slightly ruffled. Buy the time she got back, any major wound was just barely noticeable anyway.

Oboro pulled her shirt up and over her head, letting the material slide off of her arms and onto the table. There was a fair amount of blood on her left side but none of it was fresh which was a good thing. Kabuto reached for a washcloth and walked over to the sink. Wetting the cloth, Kabuto focused on the task at hand.

"So, what happened?" he asked as he turned and walked back to the table.

"Hunters." She answered as Kabuto began to clean the area. "The mission went as planned and I was on my way back when I was attacked."

"How many?"

"Two four-man cells which includes my former ANBU squad." Oboro spat, raising her arm above her head so Kabuto could get a better look.

"Then what happened?" he asked, stopping his work and looking up at her.

"The usual, trees splitting, ground shaking and bone shattering." She answered with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "I walked away, they didn't. The wound was a lot worse a few days ago. I stayed in a rundown shack for a few days to heal before I came back."

Kabuto turned back to his work, running his fingers over the slightly raised skin. "Well, let's make sure everything else is alright." He said, focusing his chakra his hands. It took him a few minutes to do a full check but when all was said and done, he smirked. "You're all set."

Oboro hopped off the table and grabbed her shirt. "I need a shower." She sighed as she folded her shirt, she would have to get rid of this one. It was too torn up to sew and wear again. "I'll see you later." She said and walked out of the room. Kabuto watched in fascination as her hips swayed as she walked away. When the door closed he leaned against the table with a groan; his pants seemed a little tighter than usual.

"Damn…" he hissed as he rubbed his temples. Three months had passed since the night at the river. It had been an amazing experience and none had been able to compare after that. Plenty of women had left his room but none satisfied him like Oboro had. And apparently she felt the same about him, three more men had disappeared since then. All of which he had seen enter her room the night before. "I don't think I can keep this up."

~xxx~

Oboro toweled her hair then brushed it as she sat on her bed, mask firmly in place. She sighed heavily while staring at the door. She could feel his hesitation, feel him standing at the door.

"What do you want Sasuke?" she asked, setting the brush on the bed. There was a brief pause before the door opened and the dark-haired boy stepped inside. Oboro quirked an eyebrow, she had never spoken to the boy without Orochimaru hovering over him -unless you count her mission to the Leaf village. This was definitely cause for concern.

"How were you able to do that?" he asked, keeping his gaze blank.

"Do what?" she answered with a question; this was already starting to grate her nerves.

"Sneak up on me -I didn't even sense your chakra." Sasuke said with a light frown.

Oboro blinked and stood. "Perfect chakra control." He glared at her then as if he didn't believe her. Oboro flash-stepped and was behind him. "Once you have that… you can do _anything_." She hissed in his ear. Sasuke jumped away from her, only to find her opening the door. "It's late and I'd like to get a good night's sleep." He stood there, clearly not finished speaking to her.

"I suggest you do as you are asked." Said a voice from the hall. Kabuto stepped into the room with a tray of food. "She has just returned, you may speak with her tomorrow." Sasuke glared at him and stormed out of the room. Oboro closed the door as Kabuto set the tray down on the bedside table.

"What the hell was that?" she asked walking to the bed to sit down.

"I've had to put up with that all week." Kabuto responded as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "I've prepared a meal for you." Oboro took the tray off the table and lifted the lid.

"Wow… thank you. You didn't have to do that." Kabuto waved it off as she started to eat. They fell into a comfortable silence for a while; believe it or not, the two had spent most of last month like this. Sitting around and enjoying the quiet while Kabuto worked on blood samples or Oboro sharpened her weapons. Soon, Oboro finished her meal and set the tray back on the table. "If you weren't an evil doctor… you'd make a really good cook." She commented with a smile watching Kabuto roll his eyes.

"True, but I prefer the evil doctor job title."

"Ok Dr. Demented, I require your assistance." She breathed while reaching for the buttons of her night shirt.

Kabuto stiffened as the first button came undone. "What are you doing?" he asked, eyes focused on the skin of her newly exposed chest.

Oboro's hands dropped to her sides, if it weren't for the mask, Kabuto would have been able to see her embarrassed blush. "I…" she paused for a moment, not sure how to explain this. "I am like a snake… I shed my skin once a year." Her hands fisted her satin pants, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. "It's the only time I'm truly vulnerable…" Oboro trailed off, fidgeting where she stood.

Kabuto understood now, but why him? "And you're trusting me with this because…?"

"You're the only one I trust… with this information and helping me." She stated firmly.

He nodded. "Ok, what do I need to do?"

"It'll only take a few minutes, once the skin hardens I'll need your help getting out of the shell then we have to burn it." She explained, taking off her shirt and working on the drawstring to her pants.

"Why burn it?" buy now, Oboro had taken them off along with her mask.

"Because some of my chakra will still be sealed in it… and with Karin on base for the week… it's a risk I'm not willing to take." Again, Kabuto nodded. This was how she survived so long without being noticed. Keiko and Joshi must have helped her in the past, and now that honor was his.

Oboro looked like she was going to be sick but as the minutes ticked by her skin began to change. Then she closed her eyes as her skin incased her in a tight cocoon. Ten minutes later, her fingers twitched signaling that it was time. Admittedly, Kabuto felt like a kid at Christmas, unwrapping a gift he had waited all year to get. Using a scalpel, Kabuto slowly cut into the cocoon and trailed the blade downward, gently pulling the skin apart. Oboro let out a breath and shrugged out of the shell. She tripped suddenly and fell forward onto Kabuto, her naked body flush against his. And that was all it took for him to loose all restraints.

He growled and pulled her closer (if it were possible) while turning to the bed. With a harsh push, Oboro found herself staring up at the ceiling as Kabuto's dark and hungry eyes came into view. He tore off his shirt and attacked her neck. She moaned in response, not bothering to stop him. She wanted him, needed this. No matter how hard she tried to deny it, the burning sensation between her legs would not stop unless she had him.

"I will not deny you, just slow down some." She whispered as another moan left her lips. Kabuto pulled away with a questioning gaze in his onyx eyes.

"Does this mean the arrangement is off?" he asked as her clouded golden eyes caught his.

"Completely." She said then slid over to the nightstand and opened the drawer. Oboro pulled out a long paper talisman and stuck it to the wall. "Let us take our time, no one can interrupt us." Kabuto glanced up at the wall; she had placed a silencing talisman on the wall, no chakra required. Turning his attention to the woman under him, Kabuto smiled.

"You sneaky little devil." He said and brought his lips to hers. This time it wasn't harsh and needy but slow and sensual. His touch was as light as a feather, slow yet steady as he added a little more weight on her body. Kabuto's hands found every inch of her body while Oboro caressed his back and shoulders. He trailed open-mouthed kissed along her neck and collar, slowly moving south to the fleshy mounds at her chest. She gasped, having never felt such a powerful feeling before that only he invoked, his name fell from her lips in pants. He smirked against her skin adding chakra to his fingertips as they continued to massage her soft skin.

"Oohh…" she breathed as a hand trailed over the inside of her thighs. Oboro arched into his hands, spreading her legs wider in silent permission. Kabuto wasted no time in removing his pants and sandals. Oboro reached up and gently removed his glasses. Placing them on the table, she smiled. "You are quite handsome."

"And you are beautiful." He whispered as if afraid he was admitting a dark secret. "From your eyes," he moved up and kissed her eyelids gently. "Your lips, your skin… even the darker side of you." Kabuto kissed everything he mentioned but when it came to the 'darker side', his lips pressed softly against the seal on her abdomen. When he looked up to meet her gaze… she was crying. "Did I do something wrong?"

Oboro shook her head, opening her arms to him. "No one has ever told me that before." Kabuto leaned forward and caught her lips again, positioning himself at her entrance. Slowly, he slipped in as his fingers wiped her tears away. He set a slow pace with even, powerful thrusts. Oboro's arms wound around his neck, pulling his hair free of the ponytail it had been in.

If someone had told her that sex would be this damn good, she probably would have laughed in their face. But Kabuto made her feel pleasure on a totally different level. No one else, not even Joshi, could hit that sweet spot just right, but Kabuto could and he did it repeatedly. All the while, Kabuto continued to whisper to her, telling her how beautiful she was.

Her orgasm came in violent waves taking him with her. He collapsed next to her, hugging her close as they caught their breath.

"Will you stay tonight?" she asked into his chest, taking in his scent of sandalwood and sweat.

"Of course." Kabuto answered while drifting off to sleep. Oboro pulled the covers over them and moved closer to him. His arms wrapped around her waist and kept her there.

~xxx~

Orochimaru walked into the lab, it was too early in the morning for him but he had some work to do. Kabuto was seated at the table in the back while Oboro flipped through some papers, checking off the herbs on the list.

"Well, now isn't this a sight to see… your both working." He grinned while stepping into the room.

"Kabuto asked for assistance and I had nothing better to do." Oboro sighed and set down the list. "Your list is finished and you're out of some things."

"We'll go get them later, I have some tests I want to run. Come over to the table." Orochimaru said as he set up some tools by the examination table. Kabuto walked over to join them while Oboro laid down and closed her eyes. It was going to be a painful procedure but Kabuto was there, standing next to the table with his hand uncommonly close to hers. Orochimaru picked up a syringe and prepared some blue colored liquid. "I'll just be looking at the demon today, there is no need to feel afraid."

Oboro raised a hand and placed it on his arm. "He may not like it… just be careful." The needle pricked her arm and soon she was sleeping but the demon was far from dreaming.

"**Explain thisss to me. Why have you awakened me?" **asked Hachimata with a glaring gaze, silver eyes going from Orochimaru to Kabuto.

"I wanted to speak with you in person… so to speak." Orochimaru answered with a smirk. "What does she need to set you free?"

Hachimata blinked. **"The blood of the Yagami genusss isss all I require. How it isss usssed, I do not know." **Well, that answered a few questions.

"The serum will wear off in an hour." With that said, Orochimaru left the room.

"**Doesss he know sssomething we don't?" **

"I don't know Hachimata-sama." Kabuto answered with a shrug. "It she resting well?"

"**My hossst isss fine." **The demon commented while looking over the boy standing next to him.** "Ssshe isss fond of you. Oboro-dono speaksss highly of your ssskillsss asss a medic." **

Kabuto nodded. "I am honored." And before anything else happened, Sasuke barged in.

"She is to train me today." He all but demanded.

"Give her an hour, she has yet to recover from the procedure." Kabuto answered as he moved to shield the demon's gaze from Sasuke.

"Very well." Sasuke agreed and walked away.

"**If I ever get the chance, I'll be sssure to make his death ssslow." **


	6. Chapter 6

What Shouldn't Be

( **A/N: **Sorry it took me so long to get this up. I got started on another story and got… sidetracked. Anyway, enjoy the show. A few secrets will be revealed in this chapter and it's a time skip... to Shippuden.)

She walked down the streets in the mid afternoon sun. It's rays warming her pale skin. Sakura sighed happily, watching children as they ran passed her. Things had changed in the two and a half years of her teammates' absence. She was an accomplished medic now, apprentice to the Fifth and, most of all, Sakura was strong. But the love she felt for her missing teammates only grew as she did.

"Ah, good afternoon, Sakura-san." A vender called with a wave of the hand. Sakura smiled in return and gave a polite wave as she continued to her destination.

The traffic booth was quiet with Kotetsu and Izumo bored out of their skulls. Another uneventful day to add to the record of uneventful days. Izumo was sleeping with his arms over his chest as Kotetsu worked on a crossword puzzle when Naruto and Jiraiya walked passed them. Kotetsu shook his partner wake as he stared at the duo walking by. Naruto waved and continued walking while Jiraiya grumbled and flipped his hair over his shoulder.

Their reunion was a happy one but bittersweet and short. Shortly after Naruto's return, terrible news came, forcing Team 7 to leave the village.

~xxx~

They had moved again. The new base lie beneath the desert where the only marker was a chunk of rock. Oboro sighed, she missed the base in the forest.

"At least there I wasn't sweating my ass off." She grumbled with an increasing frown.

"You said it." Kabuto agreed as she glanced at her. "If you want, we can shower together…" he ducked as her fist came flying at him.

"Is that all you think about?" she seethed. Kabuto just chuckled and continued to walk. Oboro had just returned from a reconnaissance mission to find Kabuto waiting at the entrance for her. When it came to Oboro's missions, Kabuto had become a worrywart and made it a point to make sure to be there the moment she got back. Orochimaru didn't seem to notice-- either that or he didn't care.

"Hey, did you get a hair cut?" Kabuto asked as she twirled a few strands between his fingers. Oboro nodded in the positive.

"Mother thought it was getting too long."

"You went back? Are you insane?" Kabuto all but shouted. "You could have been killed…" Oboro raised a hand and cut him off.

"The new Kusakage is an idiot. He called off the surveillance teams… mom's a free agent now." That was certainly good news. He grabbed her suddenly, pulling Oboro into a dark hallway.

"I've missed you…" he whispered against her lips, half-lidded onyx orbs stared heatedly into golden ones. Oboro sighed contentedly as her hands slid up his back.

"I missed you more." Her eyes closed as she leaned forward and pressed her mouth to his. It was a slow kiss, one to express their longing but it didn't last long. Orochimaru was walking down the hall toward them.

"Get some rest, Oboro." Orochimaru purred as they emerged from around the corner. "I'm sending you back out tomorrow morning."

"But I just got back." She hissed in return while crossing her arms.

"You will do as I say or suffer the consequences!" he snapped, his tone final. She sighed and rolled her eyes.

"_Fine._" She scowled with a growl. "I'll go." And she walked passed him, humming a song she had heard while in the Grass village.

~xxx~

The giant boulder crumbled into thousands of pieces, falling into the riverbed below. Four figures dashed into the darkness only to discover two Akatsuki members (one sitting on Gaara) and an unmoving Kazekage.

"GAARA! Gaara, WAKE UP!!" cried a very distraught Naruto, tears stinging his red gleaming eyes.

"Naruto!" Kakashi warned, eyes set on the two men before them. He glanced over his shoulder. "You already know, Naruto."

Oboro felt her heart constrict at the defeated look on the boy's face. Only a moment ago, with eyes as wide as saucers, she had a feeling of pride well up in her chest as she watched Sakura smash a giant boulder into rubble. It was time to see what this fiasco would boil down to. Forming a clone when Diedara took off with Naruto and Kakashi. Her clone went with them as she watched Sakura and an old woman fight Sasori.

The battle was fierce. Oboro could have sworn she heard every kick, every punch Sakura landed on the redhead. Then the ceiling collapsed, revealing the scene for a better show. Oboro bounded forward and perched herself atop the ragged rocks. Peering down and pressing her body to the rocks, Oboro silently cheered on Sakura, golden eyes gleaming as she watched.

Off in the distance her clone paced after the other member and damn, was he fast. She so wanted to knock him off that damned bird but that would alert her presence to the pair following him. Switching gears, the clone flipped and spun in the air to the other side of the ravine. Taking to the trees, the clone sped passed Diedara and waited for them to slip by.

An explosion went off as the clone peered through the thick brush. Diedara flew overhead and circled back to inspect the damage. Oboro's clone watched as a vortex appeared behind the lone Akatsuki member and it took his left arm when it closed. Staring in wonder, the clone faintly heard Kakashi grumble about how he missed.

"_Missed? That was a pretty damn good shot if you ask me." _Thought the clone while she waited for them to pass her. Once they had, she moved forward.

Things in the creator had heated up. Sasori was seemed to have the upper hand, having stabbed Sakura in the abdomen with a poisoned sword. It happened so fast that Oboro wasn't quite sure she was really seeing what had just happened. Just as Sasori was about strike, two puppets stabbed him clear through the purple cylinder in his chest; his heart. As Oboro moved closer, she heard the red-haired Akatsuki member speak.

"… in six days at the Bridge of Heaven and Earth, my spy will be waiting. Consider this a gift for defeating me." Then he slumped forward and fell to the ground. She followed Sakura and the old woman and found her clone. The information she gathered would be enough to keep Orochimaru off her back for a while.

Something was amiss as she watched the old woman work. Oboro knew that jutsu; a forbidden medical jutsu that required the user to sacrifice their life to save the patient. Where the old bag learned such a skill was lost on the Jinchuuriki. But what was not lost in translation was the fact that this (Akatsuki included) whole situation could happen to her. With a shiver of disgust, Oboro's body dissolved into a pile of snakes and disappeared from sight.

~xxx~

Kabuto sat in the lab, eyes glued to the computer screen. So far, nothing was working. He had a sample of Hachimata's chakra (which Oboro was reluctant to even give to him) and a vile of Joshi's blood but every test he ran failed miserably. Frustrated, Kabuto combed his hair back with his hands and growled. This was getting ridiculous.

"Troubles, Kabuto?" a sinister voice called from behind. Kabuto turned to see Sasuke standing by the door. Quickly, he flipped the switch to the monitor and stood from his seat.

"What brings you here, Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn." The boy responded as he crossed his arms. "Orochimaru wants to see you."

"Very well, I'll be right there." Kabuto was very aware of Sasuke's calculating eyes as he turned and saved his work before powering the computer down. "Is there anything else?" he asked while walking to the door. Sasuke said nothing as he disappeared around the corner. Kabuto heaved a sigh. "If Hachimata doesn't kill him, I will." He hissed and continued on his way.

Orochimaru sat in his chair, chin resting in one hand as Kabuto walked in.

"Having any luck?" the Sannin asked with a devious smirk; a smirk Kabuto didn't like.

"Nothing. Everything has failed so far." Kabuto answered with a frown. Orochimaru gave a soft chuckle as he stood and walked over to his desk.

"Of course they did. You've been going about it all wrong." He chuckled again as he tossed Kabuto a scroll. "We have the wrong _kind_ of blood." Kabuto read the scroll… twice.

"How long have you known?" he asked, suddenly angry with his master.

Orochimaru shrugged. "I found it a month after she got here."

"You're kidding, right?" it was a rhetorical question. "You didn't bother to inform either of us… after all the hours I slaved, test after test… the painful experiments you put her through!" Kabuto was seeing red. It was then he decided he would find a way to surpass his master. What Orochimaru put her through was completely unnecessary. Kabuto dropped the scroll and turned to leave.

"You will not breath a word of this to her." The Sannin warned as Kabuto left.

~xxx~

Oboro wasn't feeling well. Her stomach churned as she glanced at her food. Without touching her ramen, she paid the bill and headed back to base. Oboro filed her report with Orochimaru then went in search of Kabuto. Whatever was wrong with her, he'd be able to help.

"How goes things in the dirty dungeon?" she asked with a smile. Kabuto looked up from the computer and smiled in return.

"Better, now that your back." He answered in all honesty.

"Who do I need to kill to make you happy?"

"A few people. Start with Sasuke and work you way up." Kabuto spat as he stood to greet her. He pulled her into a tight hug, resting his chin on the crown of her head. Oboro hugged him back, taking in his sent with a deep breath.

"Is Asshole-sama giving you shit again?"

"You could say that." He said with a shrug of the shoulders. "What brings you here? Another boo-boo?"

"No. I haven't been felling well lately." Kabuto led her over to the table and had her sit down.

"What's the matter? Cramps or do you just feel sick?" he asked while taking her temperature.

"I don't know. It's just these last two days… I can't look at food without wanting to vomit." Kabuto was nodding as he took a blood sample and corked it.

"I'm going to run a few tests. Why don't you go to your room, shower and lie down?" he encouraged with a warm smile. She nodded and kissed his cheek before leaving.

She had just exited the shower when Kabuto barged in. He looked… shaken, scared even.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, not liking his tense posture. Kabuto strode toward her and dropped to his knees. He grabbed her waist and buried his face in her abdomen. Oboro stood stock still as she gazed down at him. "What's the matter?"

"We need to talk." He spoke into her stomach, voice muffled by the towel. Kabuto look up at her, there was something definitely wrong here. He instructed her to sit down while he explained everything.

"So… what you're telling me is, if Joshi hadn't died the demon would be free? Because I needed to have his child to do so." Oboro looked skeptical as Kabuto nodded from his seat next to her on the bed. "What's this other thing you have to tell me? You said there was something else."

Kabuto scooted closer to her, one hand resting of her belly. "It's mine." He said with a smirk. Her eyes widened as she looked down at his hand. Oboro's head snapped up to look into his eyes.

"Really?" she whispered, leaning toward him.

"Yes." Kabuto answered. Golden orbs stared heatedly into onyx. "What do you plan to do once you start showing?"

Oboro sighed as his breath fanned over her lips. "I have family in Void… Orochimaru doesn't know about Kenshi, my mother's brother." Her lips brushed against his, a fire ignited in her veins. Who knew having a child could bring forth such a surge of passion. "What will you do?"

Kabuto growled against her lips, hand rising to rest on her neck. "I will not let you raise that child alone. I'll follow when I have the chance."

And what shouldn't be… was. They made love for hours on end, whispering endearments, planning and smiling. It was unheard of, for criminals, let alone Orochimaru's top subordinates, to have found a shred of happiness in the dark recesses of the underground base. But there it was, growing in her womb without a care in the world.

**A/N: **I know it's short and I apologize. I'll make it up to you guys in the next chapter. Now, I have a little something to share with you. I'm going to be starting a Oneshot ItaSaku series called "Eight Wonders: ItaSaku". It'll be a mixed bag of oneshots some non-mass. and some will be like 'Hair Cut'. I do plan to write a sequel to 'Hair Cut' just not at the moment. Thanks for reading. Drop a review and let me know what you think, whether it be about this story or the oneshot series, I don't mind.


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